Men in long-term relationships: do you still enjoy seeing your partner naked casually after years together?
I’m 29F and have been with my boyfriend 29M for 6 years, and I think I’m finally realizing I have a really complicated relationship with being seen.
I grew up in a very religious/modest environment where even being partially naked around someone felt shameful. My boyfriend, meanwhile, has always been very physically affectionate and clearly attracted to me. Early in our relationship we had a great sex life, but I realize now I spent most of it hiding myself — lights off, covered up, rushing to get dressed, etc.
The confusing part is that I’m VERY attracted to him. Like embarrassingly so. Sometimes I still get butterflies when he kisses me. I’ve even had moments during foreplay where I got so overwhelmed by excitement/anxiety that I started hyperventilating or felt nauseous. (I also have ADHD, which probably doesn’t help with emotional intensity lol)
This year we went to Thailand together and for the first time I started feeling a little more free in my body. I realized I actually like the idea of being desired. I WANT to feel comfortable walking around naked in my bedroom, sleeping naked beside him, being playful and confident instead of acting like I need to hide.
The irony is: this man has loved me for 6 years and clearly finds me attractive, yet part of my brain still acts like he secretly hates my body.
So I’m kind of treating this as exposure therapy now. My first goal is literally just getting comfortable being seen xxby him without immediately hiding under blankets or putting clothes back on.
So I wanted to ask men in long-term relationships:
•Do you still genuinely enjoy seeing your partner naked casually after years together?
•Does it ever become “normal” or less exciting?
•If your partner was more comfortable walking around naked, would you actually enjoy that?
•What sort of thoughts go through your head when you see your girlfriend/wife naked casually?
•What makes a woman seem sexually confident/desirable to you emotionally, not just physically?
Honestly I just want to stop acting like the person who loves me most is someone I need to hide from.
If people are interested, I might actually document this journey because I genuinely want to overcome this fear.
Side note: I’m very confident in the aesthetic of my body and I take care of myself very well. I just feel mentally blocked thanks to my upbringing but not because of any insecurity surround the shape of my body.
Any advice is appreciated and welcomed!