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InkyParticipant
Hi Helen,
Snapping at your loved ones is a bad habit. Yes, it probably originated in your youth, but the truth is, this is ENTIRELY within your control. View it as a bad habit to break and something you should be more mindful about.
Being in a secret relationship with your best friend who is also a business partner would make me cranky, too LOL. If it doesn’t work out, the business could suffer and your friendship could as well! I see you two ultimately getting married or eventually breaking up. There is no in between. At the very least shout the relationship from the rooftops! You exist, and your relationship does too.
Best,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Lennon,
Isn’t it always that way??? This is akin to the creepy uncle who did inappropriate things. But then it’s the niece’s fault for “not getting over it” years later.
People tend to rally around the abuser (or in your case inappropriate brothers).
In one website (Captain Awkward dot com) they call people like your brothers The Missing Stairs. We’re supposed to walk around or jump over The Missing Stairs instead of fixing it. If other people invariably get injured it’s THEIR fault!
Tell your family Redemption comes before Forgiveness. And you know what, SHOW UP with your family to their holidays. Let it be awkward. REVEL in the family awkwardness.
Let it be Awkward,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Allen,
Your ecstatic emotions and the other girl’s suicidal lows are both part of bipolar disorder. Not to say you can’t love deeply with bipolar, but the emotions tend to be extreme. It also sounds like your new love can’t handle the massive emotions either.
It’s best if you both stay away from each other for now as it looks like you are feeding off each other.
My second thought is I don’t like how these two women are trying to manipulate you.
First of all, your ex shouldn’t continue to ARGUE that the breakup isn’t valid. Your “NO” is enough. You are broken up, whether she wants it or not.
Secondly, your non posting of the new love on social media shouldn’t put her in downward suicidal spiral.
Take a break from these two.
Good Luck!
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Meander,
You ARE the Protagonist in your own story! Your friend knows it, too. I think it’s wonderful, actually, that you are opposites and have this friendship. Aside from the quality psychotherapist, continue your friendship, don’t read too much into it, and enjoy it!
Best,
Inky
January 11, 2018 at 4:33 am in reply to: Feeling sad and confused… do I give it another chance? #186099InkyParticipantHi James,
I would tell him that you are dating other people. You can still date him as well! He will be stunned, stymied and might possibly lash out. But once he realizes that you are seeing other people who might treat you better, and heck, might even BE better, he could very well try to clean up his act.
Just say you want to have fun and be happy in your relationship with him and the way to do that is to keep it light, occasional and casual. That the relationship can become more serious as HE becomes more serious about getting help.
Of course, he could get very, very angry at this and break up with you. But that’s just as well, isn’t it?
Treating people well, and treating people badly is a habit. It’s time for him to get used to treating you with respect.
Good Luck,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Alexandra,
Can you take a break from him for a year while dating other men? The time and the experience of being with (mostly) good guys (some might be better) will give you a perspective and distance that you so desperately need! You can stay in the son’s life… as an old family friend. But this BF? The women? Nope!
Best,
Inky
January 9, 2018 at 4:40 am in reply to: Itching for a more emotional and romantic connection. #185709InkyParticipantHi modalsoul,
Your BF sounds like a lovable, yet clueless dude. He is just “there”. Except he’s not even “there” because you guys are long distance. I don’t know why but we’re getting A LOT of long distance relationship questions. Do people even date locally anymore?? LOL
Anyway, I give the same advice: You can’t really change someone into feeling or being a certain way. (Some people seem to be able to. We’re not those people though.) And long distance relationships seldom work out.
Find a nice boy in the college you’re at!
Blessings,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Vic,
It was wise to let him go. Long distance relationships seldom work out. Young love seldom lasts forever. So you had those two hindrances right off the bat.
My attitude is it shouldn’t be that hard. My other attitude is there are plenty of boys right in your own area that would LOVE to be with you and that you would have zero drama with.
Blessings,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Jasmine,
I agree with Miranda’s suggestion, especially the last part on how to powerfully and gracefully end it.
Just say, “I can’t take someone seriously who “Likes” photos from all these girls going back years.”
Then when he (tries to) dismiss your concerns, shake your head like he’s a little brother you feel sorry for and dismiss him.
Best,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Haru,
It is true, long distance relationships generally don’t work out. And if they do, then you’re physically “kind of together but not really”. You do need someone local!
The other issue is you are combining sub-worlds. When I combine sub-worlds, I always seem to come to grief. Keep your gaming friends in the game, your work friends at work, and don’t invite your neighbors to the family holidays, etc., etc.!
Work on your compartmentalization skills! There is no way your gaming friend turned boyfriend drama should have ruined a real life job interview!
As for this guy, I’m sorry the soured relationship ruined your game. Find another game, block the boy, and find local guys!
Good Luck,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Patricia,
Maybe the “tiny bump” wasn’t as tiny as you thought. Sometimes people can inadvertently kill the love. If he disappointed you, called you names, etc. that could tarnish that “in love” feeling you used to experience.
But even if he was perfectly perfect, we humans only experience that “in love” euphoria for about a year or so. Then it levels out into simply Love, which is real and longer lasting.
Hope this helps!
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Samantha,
Here’s a dirty little secret: Not everyone is meant to go to college (!)
Clearly, college/university is not for him. They don’t want him. He doesn’t want it.
But then people think on the other spectrum is jail/homelessness/death.
My Real World Practical Suggestion for him is: The Military. He can’t sleep in. He will get yelled at. He will get the dominant male presences he so desperately needs. He will be paid. He will suffer Consequences. And he will (eventually) come home a real man, and motivated.
Then there is trade schools and simply working in a shop.
College AGE (18-22) is the time to study, travel, explore, and live his dreams. Right now he is living the dream: that of his mother and sisters worrying about him and taking care of him.
At the age of 23 I would stop enabling him and would frankly work on your mother more than on him. He will be too old for the local gangs and will probably become homeless or get an enabling girlfriend.
But my instincts are saying: The Military.
Best,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi cnashh,
You were not **married** to any of your previous boyfriends. Sometimes we have to go after what our heart truly wants, even if it does mean hurting other people.
I wish you bravery. Bravery to contact Justin, to see where he stands and yes, even to make the first move.
Good Luck!
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Rick,
I would go No Initiating Contact for a year. Now, she may (probably) contact you before then, sometime this year. That’s fine. Answer her. Talk to her. But don’t you initiate contact yourself.
Then, maybe by next year, she will see that she can’t jerk you around like that. Then you can be friends. But a relationship? Not anytime soon.
Best,
Inky
InkyParticipantHi Maria Mango,
The problem with long distance relationships is that they’re… long distance! So you put all (ALL!) your energy and attention to texts and video chats. Which only actively engage you for a short while. When you actually see him in the flesh, you will spend (effortlessly) more time together hanging out and doing nothing than you even did communicating long distance.
This reminds me of how I was the greatest parent, but only when I was pregnant LOL! I read all the books and planned and prepared… and the baby wasn’t even here yet. You’re kind of doing the same thing. Putting all your energy and worry into a relationship that is not physically tangible now.
Nothing’s actually happening or going wrong, so you’re making up little stories of how you’re messing it all up from a thousand miles away.
Of course, you could be the perfect girlfriend and he could still break up with you because of the long distance.
I say you’re doing great! Don’t sweat it.
Blessings,
Inky
P.S. Don’t move in together. From my observations THAT will be the thing to kill a relationship!
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