3 Signs You May Not Be Ready To Date

1. You want someone to complete you.

The best relationships form when two people who love themselves come together to love each other. They both know their worth as individuals, and neither of them will settle for less. If you think that you are not enough as a single person, you may want to spend time alone getting to know yourself. Learning what makes you special, and believing that you are, can help you to healthily share your life with another human being.

2. You are trying to prove something.

There are survivors who do not like to be pitied or seen as weak. To prove to themselves or others that they are passed what happened to them, they may look for a causal or serious dating partner. Proof that you are in control of your body and your life is not found in sexual encounters or romantic relationships. It is found in you by you being at peace with yourself. If you are looking for validation, you may want to hold off on dating. Validation is something that you already have, and you can find it by healing alone.

3. You are overwhelmed by your trauma.

As I mention in "hands.", healing is not linear. Even after you heal into a whole person, you can still have healing to do for the rest of your life. To be in a healthy relationship, you do not have to have it all together. A healthy relationship is made of two flawed people who are going through a storm, getting out of a storm, or heading towards a storm in life. However, before you start dating, you may want to process your sexual assault or abusive relationship and learn ways to manage its effects. Sex and love can trigger a lot, and developing self-awareness can help you to navigate those triggers and guide your partner through helping you.