@Sammy1 I appreciate your understanding, unfortunately this will be my last post, at least for the foreseeable future. I do not have the time to dedicate or to really offer a listening ear and wisdom in the way I would like.

Very proud of you doll, you did the hard graft by yourself. You really showed grit and determination to overcome the pain and not let the critic we all possess beat you down. You are capable of remaining true to your identity, and are looking to add to your happiness and not seeking happiness in someone or something! Kudos to you! I know you can only soar higher from here.

I hope the new man in your life continues to cherish the wonderful woman you are. Sounds like a gent!

Thank you for that update, I’m sure @Kkasxo and @Shelbyville are both doing great so try not to worry, focus on channelling that incredible caring ability and compassion on yourself and those who do remain present.

@Dannydan Kudos to you too for the courage you showed in pursuing ‘B’ against the odds. You can live a life without the what if or regret. It takes incredible strength to admit you need help so you’re already leaps ahead than most.

Oh the sleepless nights are tough not to mention the cost of nappies and formula! Expensive raising a child, however I’m blessed with a beautiful daughter and wife so remind myself to be grateful.

I don’t have much free time sadly but to answer your question without creating more. Depression has no cure, it’s not something you just outgrow or treat once and it disappears. There is always that risk of having another episode as you are predisposed. For example when I became redundant although i was better equipped at handling my emotions due to growth, it was still overwhelming enough to cause another episode.

If identified, it is treatable, so I took the right steps instead of ignoring the issue and was put on medication for short duration. I now also keep on top of my self care.

The major factor in my treatment plan has been my partner, she has an innate emotional understanding, she just makes any episode less daunting and is capable of handling it without me fearing asking for help, she will never consider me weak, so I never feel the extra pressure to hide anything or put on a mask – this itself can be so draining.

I’ve found someone who understands it’s a part of me and is able to support me. Most often she can detect it before me and it all makes a huge difference. The key thing is not to just take and learn self sufficiency, do everything possible to be a rock for her, appreciate and value your partner that when the going gets tough they can give extra if necessary. So it works. Someone who accepts you will not be afraid to speak or explore your darker side. I think you’ve really found that with ‘B’ so don’t worry. Just keep it balanced.

Sammy and Danny , shine bright and all the best for your journey. Practice gratitude, humbleness and continue to challenge each other to grow. Pleasure to have encountered you both!

@Sammy I’m ever so proud of you. Wherever you end up in life, I know you will grasp it and find happiness. Keep up the hard work and you’ll prosper baby sis!

I will definitely book a 3D scan as part of a Christmas gift for my OH. A fantastic suggestion! Just some further news to share, I couldn’t be happier as we’ve decided to tie the knot in a small civil ceremony. Once the baby arrives we will organise a bigger wedding for family and friends (Covid permitting) and have a babymoon!!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed posting my advice and life experience and I hope you were all able to benefit. I hope I’m proof to you ladies men do grow up, I hope I’ve inspired those who have spiralled to never stop the work in progress because it all leads to strength and success. To @Danny I hope you realise with intent and focus it is possible to realise our innermost desires of being with someone who equally loves, supports and cherishes us. You’re a man now and I have faith you will be just fine!

Reading all your journeys has been amazing and I feel you all will lead fulfilling lives as long as you continue to grow.

I will no longer be posting, I just don’t have the time with the major changes.

I wish you all the best @Sammy @Danny @Lucie @Shelbyville @Kkasxo

Thank you for welcoming and allowing me to post in this thread @Shelbyville in turn I hope its helped you and many more.

@Shelbyville just from my wealth of experience when a person over expresses I love you, it usually is stemming from insecurity. This is called excessive reassurance-seeking. I had a girlfriend that was very insecure and said I love you a lot to get reassurance from me and it was lovely to hear at first but it got tedious and festered into resentment. I’m as you know a pretty sensitive and emotional man too, but I am also of the opinion if you say it too much, it devalues the meaning. Which is why I advised @Danny even if he is feeling it to wait and just prove his love through his actions. Once he is 100% sure to say the words as it should signify that you are commiting to honour those words.

99% of the time it is insecurity but there’s a 1% you might want to consider love languages. Either way if it is making you feel weirded out then you need to address it.

If I think back to my first relationship where I needed reassurance from her I would end up being the one who said ‘I love you’ and ‘I miss you’ far too often and it was coming from feeling insecure in the relationship and ultimately it ended.

When I got back with my current partner although previously, I had a lot of self doubts about whether I deserved her etc. I worked hard on my own self worth and conquering my fears. When I entered the relationship with intent, the remnants of those fears completely evaporated especially when we exchanged ‘I love you.’ There’s no neediness or reassurance required, there’s a security thats how I know I’m really loved and in love.

@Sammy

I’ll be honoured to be your virtual big bro too! I’m so proud of the work you have undertaken and where you are in your journey. Letting go of something that has become so familiar is the hardest but it pushes you to get out of your comfort zone and will lead to you growing and excelling.

This feeling of limbo is common after a major break up or life change and you need to embrace it rather than make an impulsive decision. Not knowing where you are headed next need not be scary, utilise this time to gain knowledge or attain a goal you always put off. Be proactive, bit by bit you’ll notice the movement and naturally find your new path.

I know you are not jealous and I know you will find your person. You’re incredibly smart and self aware. The improvements you are making can only lead to you attracting better. So don’t give up hope, neither should you define happiness as being in a relationship. There’s many other ways to feel content in life and those with a strong self of self and high worth achieve it by being content with themselves foremost.

Plum is growing quickly, Covid-19 has dampened the experience. Unable to attend a lot of the appointments with my partner but grateful nonetheless.

I’m very proud Sammy that you’ve turned around your life essentially on your own. It took me a whole load of therapy and guidance to see the light and beat my addictions. So your strength is incredible. Stay away from the booze and you’ll thrive!

Lula doll, by trying to answer all these questions of why you are leading yourself to place where more questions will arise. You will never be happy with answers because what you need to do is accept it happened. It can’t be changed and focus on what is best for you.

I Your morals and values were clearly not aligned. He was aware of what he was doing. How can a person not see he is discussing sexually intimate things with a girl who is not his girlfriend? Like you said this was acceptable for him, so he felt indifferent to the consequences. In your case it made you feel emotionally closer to him as you obviously wouldn’t discuss things like that with any boy. He needs to grow up, learn about respect, loyalty and mature.

You need to let go and not excuse or explain his actions no matter how much you love him. People do crappy things and sometimes it’s the people we love the most. You need to work on yourself, heal your unrequited love and see the lessons:

1. Never allow anyone to disrespect you. You are worthy of being loved fully for who you are. You are not a side piece.

2. You have a lot of love and capable of unconditional love. Save that for someone who will treat you the way you deserve.

3. Sometime when we are loyal it is very hard to let go. However knowing when to quit is an important part of growth too. Now it’s time to part ways and heal.

4. If he was your person none of this would be happening. He would have treated you with respect and not indulged his desires. He would have valued your friendship.

5. Don’t let this stop you from achieving your educational goals and becoming stronger. With time and reflection he will realise his mistakes and make amends. You owe him nothing. He needs to redeem himself and that’s through self work and growth.

I’m being blunt because I feel you need to hear it or else you’ll stay stuck in this denial. Accept what has happened and let go. You’ll blossom 🌸

Kudos to you for pulling through and focusing on your exam. Hopefully you’ll attain the results you are capable of and deserve.

Lula doll, there seems to be an element of denial on your behalf. So I will be addressing this once and it’s down to yourself to accept and figure out.

As a man who has not always been as evolved and mature as I am today. I’m telling you, he was aware of what he was doing. Did he at the time question his morals or loyalty to his actual girlfriend? No! He thought be could have his cake and eat it too.

He feels guilty because he has made a mistake and hurt someone by leading them on and using them. This is deplorable, the more you accept this standard of behaviour and make excuses the greater damage you will do to yourself. Your self esteem has been hit greatly for you to still be trying to explain his inexcusable actions. This will be your own undoing if you allow it to have power over you.

He only questioned his morals once presented with your hurt, otherwise he would have continued to take advantage. A mature, unselfish individual would be more self aware and have better values and morals to not inflict this on anyone let alone their “best friend.” So he may have aspects to him which are good but you can’t deny he has a lot of maturing to do and re evaluate his morals and values.

I think you have expressed your pain. Now create the space. Cut him loose and focus on your future and studies. I will not comment further as there isn’t much more to add to my previous thoughts. You just need to accept it, which is hard but better for you in the long run. Good luck with your future.

Tim

@Lucie doll I forgot to address your message, it almost got lost amongst the posts, do forgive me.

Thank you so much, I’m still dumbfounded by the kindness of strangers although I do see this thread and its posters as a little community in itself now. I’m chuffed, I never thought after the very dark periods in my life, the spiral i took. I’d be able to live to see the day where I was in a really fulfilling and happy relationship. Perseverance and making the right choices,  surrounding oneself with the people who keep you moving towards better and are good for your soul, are KEY. Keep on growing doll and I promise you, you’ll attract good and learn to hold onto it too!

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by Tim.

@Danny

Bro there are a few things that are happening here, brace yourself:

1. You are falling in love
2. Suffering anxiety as you do

How do I know? I’ve been there. It gives you a strange mixture of hope and guilt.

You’ve found someone who accepts you for who you really are without the pretense we put up to impress others, she has seen the flaws, the weaknesses and has CHOSEN to be with you. It’s unreal right? It feels incredible! That my friend is REAL LOVE….

…but at the same time your mind will do everything it can to remind you of why you are not enough for this special person. It will throw out the… “You hurt this beautiful woman. You don’t deserve her etc etc…” therefore making you feel dread too.

You’re in a battle now and it’s with yourself, it’s up to you to overcome it, if you want a meaningful, deep partnership because if you get over this obstacle and let it develop that is exactly what it will be given your descriptions of your wonderful lady.

I suspect during that initial 6 months when you were together the first time, you actually began to fall for her then subconsciously but were very unaware of your feelings because it got pushed down amongst your brain working overtime to sabotage as a way to protect you after what happened with ‘A’  and that’s why you ended up hurting her and believing you didn’t belong together. You know all this. You are a self aware and intelligent guy. So utilise that side to keep pushing through the self doubt.

Now you are equipped with the knowledge that you care about someone else’s life more than your own and that’s why you feel sad for what you did. It hurts even more knowing you hurt someone you love.

As @Shelbyville said we all are fallible and make mistakes, you need to forgive yourself, if that means taking a confession or making a spiritual connection with God to seek repentance than do that. She can’t give you the redemption, you need to find that within yourself.

You need to also be aware ‘B’ will along the line disappoint you, make a mistake and when that happens its your time to show the compassion she showed you. That is accepting her, for her flaws. You have to CHOOSE her, don’t be afraid to.

Falling in love mate is a beautiful thing you are being vulnerable and it will feel intense. This time the only difference is you need to get to a place where you believe that you truly deserve her love, her kindness and by offering her the same will help nurture an equal footing in the relationship.

Don’t ruin it by running in abject fear again. Come on here myself,  @Shelbyville, @Kkasxo will be your guidance so you don’t spiral into self sabotage. Forgive yourself, it so clear you have someone very good for you mate. A person who really understands the essence of who you are and deep down every person craves that more than anything. So don’t throw it away because I can guarantee there will not be another chance with her.

If you let this grow by spending time in her presence, respecting her boundaries you’ll realise more than the sex you’ll start to just want the comfort of her being close to you.

Enjoy her company, let it flourish, take time because in my opinion saying ‘I love you’ should carry weight and be a commitment to accept and cherish that person no matter what. So don’t just say it as a grand gesture. Wait until you feel stable and have proven to each other in your actions that you really will honour those words.

I have faith in you mate. Believe in yourself! You have more control than you think, each decision leads us down a path, don’t go down the REGRET route again or it will just prove you haven’t learned or grown from the mistakes you made with her before.

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by Tim.