Asking for a friend: ‘I’ve never been in a long-term relationship. I am so bad at communicating — will I ever find a partner?’

'My low self-esteem is affecting my relationships.' Photo posed

Dr Caroline West

Q: I’ve never been in a long-term relationship, and I am so worried about it. My longest relationship was just a few months long.

I know it’s an issue with me as I have low self-esteem and I really struggle with communication. So either partners get sick of it or I run away before they get the chance to. Every time it happens I feel bad and I would love to get to know someone in the long term.