STARTING NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE

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Starting a special relationship with someone and going out with them should be based on friendship before anything else. Changing your friendship into something more intimate is a scary time. Being able to talk your feelings through together will make your relationship more rewarding and build up trust between you.

The point when you realise that you really like someone can be nerve-wracking because you then have to find out what they think about you! This kind of worry is very common. It could be the other person is thinking the same thing about you, in which case it is a question of one of you being open enough to finally show your feelings. Alternatively your feelings won't be matched by the other person. Or maybe you don't like someone who really likes you.

If you really like someone you will have to find a way to show your feelings to them - trying to be with them as much as you can, by body language perhaps, or you can say it outright. Sometimes people need time to think about a relationship. Friendships can take time to grow.

If you find you don't like someone and they are giving you signs that they like you, it is best to try and say something politely so they are clear how you feel. It is better to be polite - it takes a lot of courage to tell someone you like them and to be rejected is often very hard to take. Think carefully about rejection - it could happen to you.

If you would like advice about your relationship you can discuss your concerns in confidence with a trained adviser either at Brook Advisory Centres or Youth Access. Both agencies can advise you if you want to discuss 'relationships'. They will listen in confidence and can look at your situation in a neutral way, which may be helpful