Women who say they are much happier being single than being in a relationship are lying, according to one expert.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Dr Pam Spurr said that over-30s who are not in relationships often make out that their life is wonderful as a defence mechanism.
She said that – like Bridget Jones – every woman wants to find her own Mr Darcy and to claim that life is better off without is false
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Dr Spurr added that this is because single women are missing some of the vital needs that can be found through being in a loving relationship – including having someone to share the ups and downs, someone to share your day with and someone that is committed to you for the "long-haul".
Media reports in recent months have been full of accounts of the rise of the "freemale" – single women who are happier having a good career and social life than being in a relationship.
But Dr Spurr said that this happy façade is nothing but a cover-up and that these single women really do need a man.
She said: "They know it, and I know it, but they're too embarrassed to admit it: that's why they end up as single, lying females trying to protect some semblance of their dignity."
