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Distant partner

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  • #99445
    Marsh
    Participant

    A very good day everyone!

    Who has had experience with a partner that had become distant? What causes the distance, the awkwardness and what does it mean? What did you do to handle it?

    Thankyou.

    #99451
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:’

    I did. What caused the distance? My abusive behavior toward him. He wanted to get away from me because contact with me was painful to him. How I handled it? I attended psychotherapy with a competent, caring and hard working therapist who started with the two of us as Couple Therapy. In those sessions I learned interpersonal skills such as to interact with him using EAR: Empathy, Assertiveness and Respect. Never abuse. Following the couple therapy I attended individual therapy.

    As to other people, I hope other members answer you as to their situation. What is yours?

    anita

    #99456
    Marsh
    Participant

    Well it’s been a tough but fun last year, we planned to move away together. She left early Jan and is living with family friends and I was supposed to meet her around now.

    But the past two weeks she has been very distant, not really talking, no phones calls and barely messaging, I asked her what’s wrong and she said she is really enjoying being alone and she is just stressed with everything, and can’t afford to move out right now and has said to me I should stay here for abit longer until she is ready which was quite a shock.

    She also has voiced that she thinks I won’t like it where she has moved and doesn’t think I’ve been productive for the move and that I rely on her too much, which is somewhat true, but for me this came out of no where, one day it was ok, the next just no communication.

    I message her to see what’s going on and it doesn’t feel the same from her, she takes her time, doesn’t really call back.

    So what are you thoughts? I said if she wants to be alone just tell me so I can move on, she just says I love you but just see how this works out. Just acting like a complete different person. Complains she has no money but goes out drinking etc

    I don’t care what she does and I want her to be happy, but I don’t really exist in this occasion anymore, well that’s what it feels like

    Is she genuine? Or letting me go gently?
    So how would you take this, how would you go about it?

    Thanks heaps.

    #99462
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:

    Reading your post above, I see that she did communicate to you a few things:

    She told you that she is “really enjoying being alone”. that she “can;t afford to move out right now” that you “should stay (where you are) a bit longer”, that she thinks you “won’t like it where she has moved (where you were supposed to move to so to be with her) and she said even more, all pointing to a change in plans: the plan that you move with her is cancelled, she cancelled it. She sounds distant and has expressed to you this distance with words.

    But then she said she loves you and let’s “see how this works out”- what works out, I don’t know. This is not looking promising at all.

    You asked: “Is she genuine? Or letting me go gently? So how would you take this, how would you go about it?”

    My guess is letting you got gently, and I am sorry to voice this opinion here, because you are probably hurting at the thought. Her words and behavior is consistent with that. What is for sure is that she does not want you moving where she is at. She said that.

    What are you going to do next?

    anita

    #99465
    Marsh
    Participant

    Well I’m not sure, I’m where I am with our stuff that I was supposed to bring up..

    Yeah I feel exactly what you said.

    I just don’t know where this has come from, I visited her when she first started becoming distant and she was fine, then when I got back home it really kicked in, and I just don’t know why.

    Like, she has she she is still in it and loves me, why is she not excited and communicating with me then?

    #99467
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:

    Maybe the answer is in what you wrote in your original post, that she said that she “doesn’t think I’ve been productive for the move and that I rely on her too much”- I don’t know what she meant by it, you not being productive. And relying on her too much.

    Maybe it has to do with money. She complained she doesn’t have enough money. Maybe she wants you to contribute more money to the cause of moving in together? Did she mean that you rely on her financially too much?

    anita

    #99469
    Marsh
    Participant

    well i guess i haven’t had a lot of input with the move, i guess in general i leave a lot of things up to her, putting a lot of pressure on her to sort things out. i leave things until the last minute. and i guess its hard with her already stressful life at the moment.i cant deal with negativity and go to her to vent when im upset..which isn’t lot.

    as for money we are young and both independent, we dont share an account and im the one with money, thats one thing i dont go to her for.i have leant her money recently,which she hates. and i have said ill pay the rent and and bond until she gets off her feet but she declined saying she has it a lot easier where she is not having to spend money on living.

    usually im her rock, we laugh,have fun she tells me everything. all of a sudden not so much.

    #99470
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:

    Maybe you can plan to have a conversation with her, plan the questions you want to ask her. Write them down. It would be much better to get the answers from her than to speculate and guess as to what they are. I know you asked her some questions, but ask different questions, more specific. It is a skill to ask questions that will give you the exact information you need.

    Journalists are expert at it, and so are lawyers, experts- if they are good at their professions- at asking questions so to get the information they need.

    Hence, ask…prepare the questions before hand, in writing/ typing. You can type them here as practice or privately…

    anita

    #99472
    Marsh
    Participant

    for example id ask ” so do you want to be by yourself” and she will hesitate but will say i want you here, but im really enjoying alone time, i havn’t had it so long and i dont want to lose it, its nice not having to not look after you or the complaining, she says it in a nice way..but it doesn’t help me. she want me there, but doesn’t at the same time. so i think do i walk away or try it make that area better between us..hahaha hassle huh.

    ive asked her everything ive needed to and so she does’t want to keep talking about it. it doesn’t help me what so ever.

    #99473
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:

    Well, if you already asked her all there is to ask maybe… maybe you can tell her that you can work on complaining less to her…? Make some changes on your part (as she does on her part, maybe not drink as much…)? I mean, make it easier for her as she makes it easier on you. If not ask, then negotiate how to help each other…

    anita

    #99474
    Marsh
    Participant

    yeah i can try that, because right now it feels as if i dont know her.

    ive said if she is over it to just tell me, it may hurt a litle but ive been through worse.i just want to know where i stand so my focus can go else where.

    #99486
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:

    I like it that you are okay with the possibility that you may have to abandon the plans you had, that you expect the hurt but know you were hurt in the past, even worse, and survived it, so you will survive this one too. I like it that you are able and willing to shift your focus elsewhere. Please update us here with your situation…?

    anita

    #99663
    Marsh
    Participant

    Well we had a chat the other night, and I though it went well.

    And the next morning she messaged me saying have a good day and I’ll call you tonight, and then nothing, obviously then next morning I felt abit off about it and asked what happened, we spoke but it just seemed like she didn’t care really.

    She wrote to me saying that when we lived together in our small town all there was me, but now That she has moved there is trying to juggle work, making and meeting friends, doing fun things, family time etc aswell as me at the same time, I understand that part, but asked her why at times it feels like there is no effort at all from her,

    She said we are now just on different levels,then I asked her if she is Coming down for my birthday next week and it just seemed half hearted, ” oh I’ll have to check, I might have to work, I need the money” and to me that is such a bad excuse. 6 months ago I’d never hear this, she would have made all the effort in the world.

    Am I being selfish and hard on her? Thoughts?/

    #99669
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear marsh:

    I don’t think that it is selfish of you to feel disappointed and distressed over the fact that you are no longer a high priority in her life. If she is now employed while before she was not, I would understand her being less available time wise, to talk to you when on the job. And maybe it would mean she went to bed earlier and would not be available to talk to you as late as she used to.

    But she is placing the following priorities above your place in her life: making new friends, meeting new friends, doing fun things… she is moving away from the relationship with you, not toward it. And nothing to do with money.

    I think this relationship is dying. What do you think and feel at this time?

    anita

    #99677
    Marsh
    Participant

    Yeah that’s pretty spot on, what you said makes a lot of sense.

    That’s a shame. All I can do is laugh I guess haha.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 27 total)

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