Set Yourself Free

Maybe you had a bad 'imprint' for relationships when you were growing up, and learned love can be damaging. Perhaps you had your heart broken and that made you feel as if love isn't worth the pain. There's no need to be in a relationship – many people are happy single – but if you often fall head over heels then withdraw once your love's reciprocated, or string people along without engaging emotionally, your issues may be damaging to yourself and others.

There's no magic answer but examining your past for relationship patterns and seeing whether they've made you happy can help you work out your course of action. Don't pressure yourself to have a relationship if you're not ready but try to separate genuine emotions from negative learned patterns. If you're not ready for love, be honest with your partner. However, if it’s only a physical relationship you’re after, remember to always keep it safe.

Divorce is common nowadays, and is just one thing that could trigger feelings of abandonment. This can lead to clinginess, co-dependent relationships and, ironically, pushing people who love you away to prove your fears have foundation. Learn to love yourself and you're more likely to have a happy, healthy relationship.

If you don't feel worthy of love, it's easy to sabotage your life because you don't think you deserve to be happy. Reliance on drink, drugs and damaging sex (such as sex with people who are unavailable) can indicate you don't value yourself. Partners tend to mirror how we feel about ourselves so self-loathing can lead to negative relationships.

Baggage comes in many forms and there's no shame in seeking help unpacking it. Counselling can help if you find it hard alone, as can supportive friends and family. Be honest with yourself, take responsibility for the patterns that you've repeated (that doesn't mean bad things that have happened are your fault, but choosing to stay in a bad situation can be an indication of your self worth) and above all love yourself. Do things you enjoy, look after your body and self-worth – maybe even happily ever after - is more likely to follow.