Why do I fear he'll leave me once he gets to know the "real" me?

Why do I fear he'll leave me once he gets to know the "real" me?

Pay attention to your need for space

Balancing closeness and separateness is as natural as the ebb and flow of life. Too much time together and we risk engulfment, too much time apart and we risk isolation.
As much as we want to spend time together when we are in relationship, it is important to pay attention to the signs that indicate it’s time to take some space. Typically, these signs will show up in the form of anxiety, irritability, feeling overly needy or clingy, or an overwhelming need to withdraw.
When you catch yourself feeling any of these, simply know it is time to be on your own for a while.
Once alone, allow yourself to feel all of your feelings, without attempting to stuff or ignore them.
What we resist persists. Therefore, surrender to what is, and you will be surprised how quickly these feelings pass. Once they have passed, you have the opportunity to understand their source, and make peace with whatever it is that caused you to feel this way in the first place.