When writer Ismene Ormonde began dating again following a long-term relationship, she found herself pulled in by the false intimacy of long, drawn-out 'talking stages' 

When does the u2018talking stageu2019 start working against you?

When does the ‘talking stage’ start working against you?

The anxiety I’d feel waiting for a reply was equally powerful, which made me wonder whether this approach to the ‘talking stage’ was in fact healthy

One writer ponders whether it created a false sense of intimacy with people she was casually dating. 