I’m so shy around women that the guys at work accuse me of being gay

DEAR DEIDRE: I’M so shy around women that the guys at work think I’m gay.

I’m not. I’ve never been interested in men in that way.

1

I’m 28 now and my mum died when I was 17. She was an alcoholic who abused me physically on a weekly basis, and once, sexually.

I’ve never been able to trust women because of this.

One of my friends said that because she’s now dead, I should be getting on with my life but I can’t move past this.

I’ve been out with a couple of women but it doesn’t get further than one date because I clam up.

I’m also fed up of the gay jibes at work.

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DEIDRE SAYS: You’ve had a tough time. You’ll begin to feel more confident and that you can trust women if you can find emotional support to deal with your childhood, and the complicated feelings of loss towards your mother.

Contact (0808 800 5000) for help with the historic abuse.

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