Home→Forums→Relationships→Trying to deal with anxiety and loss after relationship break up
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December 14, 2018 at 1:05 pm #269317KkasxoParticipant
Shelby,
I think your therapist is right, I completely agree with that and it is also how I view normal, functioning, adult relationships. It’s nice to see that a fully qualified psychologist agrees! I must not be crazy in the end then for expecting this..
I believe the issue with his family will forever persist. Whether with me or with another partner in the future, they have and always will be first for him unfortunately. I know for a fact that I won’t be able to continue that way because it’s not normal and it most definitely isn’t fair..
i do believe that your ex used the ‘lone wolf’ thing as an excuse. Let’s be real, nobody really wants to be alone! Not forever anyway. At the end of the day we all strive to eventually settle down and live a happy life with another human being, our partner. I do think that it was just easier covering up his family responsibilities with that excuse rather than admitting that he is unable to cut the ties a little and focus on his own life… perhaps it didn’t sit right with him or maybe that’s just how he was raised – like my ex. Whatever it was I suppose it doesn’t matter. He was unable or unwilling to focus on his own life.
I’m proud of you that you have taken a step to actually plan the contact – only a few days ago you were petrified and didn’t even know how to go about it! Whether you do it or not is another story, baby steps. And remember, you don’t wctuqlly have to contact him if you feel within you it isn’t the right thing to do. I’m only going off of experience. There’s only so many times you can be rejected by someone before you accept it and move on… again, from experience.
Realistically if he reiterates that you two aren’t together for whatever reasons then it isn’t really anything new you’ll be hearing, you’re already aware of this and have been dealing with it so it can’t get worse than it is.
Whatever you decide to do, I’m always here for a chat x
December 14, 2018 at 1:21 pm #269321ShelbyvilleParticipantKkasxo,
Honestly sometimes there are so many points you make that resonate with me. You kind lady, are far stronger than me. You have more self worth, you know the things you are not willing to put up with or sacrifice long term. Where on earth is my backbone?!
Maybe I do need to be rejected again to get it into my head. You’re right, I know what i know already however there must be a flicker of delusion keeping some hope alive and that might be completely extinguished. Which has good and bad points. Some might say good because once hope is gone, acceptance must come, bad because I could sink again after it.
Im trying to listen to my gut, but it’s of course lately as I don’t know when my heart or when my head is talking and neither is the gut really?
I believe you deserve happiness, fulfilled happiness. From what i know of you on the forum, I genuinely believe you deserve the kind of happiness that nearly makes you giggle with the amount of it bursting from your heart. So make sure you get that!
Thanks so much for being a lifeline!
December 15, 2018 at 7:53 am #269365ShelbyvilleParticipantToday my head is all over the place. I planned to contact him and arrange a meet up but every time I think of doing it, fear takes over and I bail out.
I sent a bday message to his sister, given that she messaged me last wk and she sent back a pic of celebrating with her niece. Her other brother was with her and I then I wondered had my ex headed over for some winter sun to celebrate with her too and then now I feel dreadfully sad.
I realise I have been keeping hope alive and I don’t know how to kill it. I can’t imagine him doing things that I don’t know about or am involved in. If I did meet up with him, I wouldn’t be begging to reunite but I still want to talk to him.
It’s been three months and almost all my thoughts are of him. I’ve been trying to think more lately of all the times he let me down or I didn’t get enough from him to try and offset the Rose-tinted glasses but not really working.
I don’t know how to be happy in a life that doesn’t involve him. Sad an all as that might sound.
December 15, 2018 at 4:00 pm #269385ShelbyvilleParticipantUpdate: I messaged him. It hasn’t been read yet but I think he’s visiting family abroad so there’s a time difference. I feel sick thinking about it but I was struggling daily anyway, agonising over doing it, so I just bit the bullet, felt the fear & did it anyway. Let the chips fall where they may.
December 16, 2018 at 7:48 am #269433KkasxoParticipantShelby,
Sorry for the late reply been a hectic day!
What did you say to him in your message?
I see you mentioned above that his sisters abroad at the moment and hence the assumption he might’ve gone too! It is a possibility so don’t worry about the lack of response from his end as of yet..
December 16, 2018 at 10:51 am #269459ShelbyvilleParticipantHi Kkasxo,
He texted back at 4am, hence he reason I felt he was abroad, plus his sister messaged me yesterday and said he was sorry to hear about him and I and that she had just heard, because she hasn’t been in touch with Home recently and her family tends to only share info face to face. So I put two and two together.
He was incredibly formal, even at 4am, wishing me belated birthday wishes. I asked if we could talk but he left it hours to reply. Then he phoned me, but I was with my sister and couldn’t answer.
Besides, I didn’t want to talk over the phone, while I’d imagine that’s his preference. I messaged a little later to apologise for missing the call and asked if he could meet me at some stage when he is around.
It turns out he doesn’t appear to be abroad and is meeting me tomorrow evening. So now it’s about trying to come out of this interaction with as much of my heart and what little is left of my self esteem held together, if not exactly in tact.
Now that it’s coming, I don’t know what to say. Being fully honest seems to go against most people’s advice in the sense it will make me feel desperate and pathetic and appear so to him, but we’ll see.
He has arranged a public place, so as to avoid any kind of emotional traumatic experience again I presume.
December 16, 2018 at 11:48 pm #269571ShelbyvilleParticipantNow that reality has dawned, I’m extremely anxious. Actually, not so much anxious as downright scared. I’m even thinking of backing out. Is it a bad idea, why did I feel provoked to do it. The impetus that spurred me to finally do it, seems to have faded completely, only to be replaced with fear.
The last three months have been tough, I don’t want to go back to square one. I have never ever stopped thinking about him, but at least, with no pictures and no run-ins with him, his exact features are kind of fuzzy in my mind. Now they will be in full technicolour later. Also, I think I’m uncomfortable with his choice of location, a hotel near me. It’s public and also in my territory in a way, I don’t want to cast a shadow over my local area which I frequent regularly.
I have no clear idea of what I want to say or achieve, it’s honestly like the wind has gone out of my sails and I’m scared now.
December 17, 2018 at 4:04 am #269575KkasxoParticipantShelby,
The fact that he has agreed to meet so soon says a lot.. So that’s a good thing! I’m glad he didn’t make a big fuss about this!
Make a list of everything you want to get off your chest so you go into this meeting somewhat prepared rather than just overly emotional etc. Although I wouldn’t worry too much about this – this is the man you have been with for many years, he has seen your most vulnerable self and you shouldn’t be ashamed of this at all! It hurts, and he knows it hurts!
It is natural to feel anxious/scared, I promise you once it’s done you wont feel that bad! You just have to go into it with a plan. Everything you’ve wanted to say or any unanswered questions for the last three months, now’s the time!
Crossing my fingers for you and hoping to hear all about it later!
December 17, 2018 at 4:30 am #269577ShelbyvilleParticipantKkasxo,
ya see, my ex was never very natural when I was vulnerable. He would have done anything for me, but became extremely unsettled and worried when I would ever be upset. So this is going to be a tricky interaction.
He arranged the meeting so so because he wants to get it over and done with. I know him, I know he thought he was free of any more anguish by ending it 3 months ago.
When I debated each day for so long about contacting him I felt I had so many things to say or to ask- but do you think I can think of ONE of those things at the moment?!!! Nope.
I’m like a deer in headlights, no idea what to say or do. Eek.
December 17, 2018 at 4:36 am #269579KkasxoParticipantShelby,
I think the key here is to let go of any thoughts of how he may be feeling or what he may be thinking – this is for YOU, never mind what he thinks/feels about the interaction! This is what YOU need so that you can move on with your life, he’s doing well at this as it is it seems!
Try to release some of that anxiety and let your rational mind kick in a little bit. Go back to your thoughts of what answers you may need from him..
There is no shame in being a human being who feels and deeply at that too! He was a major part of your life, do not be ashamed of showing a little bit of your heartbreak if need be throughout your interaction – this is only natural. Stay real and honest that’s the only way you can prevent the future what if’s. Otherwise you’ll only go back home and think ‘If only I was honest maybe it would’ve changed something!’. Tell him you are deeply disappointed and hurt by the fact that he couldn’t progress with you as you thought you were in it for the long run. Tell him its been difficult going from being partners in life to being strangers so quickly. Say anything that you may need to say. Ask him for answers. Ask him for some clarity – it is the least you deserve. Remember, you don’t have to beg or anything, just be firm and honest and keep in mind this is likely to be your last interaction so you need to get everything out on the table and affirm to yourself that once this is over, you can now release and breathe. You are now entitled to move forward with your life and live for you and you only. You are worthy. You are an incredible woman with so much to offer. This is your closure.
December 17, 2018 at 4:47 am #269581ShelbyvilleParticipantKkasxo,
Ill do my best. I’m just so scared of feeling like the world is ending again after. But I need to take my own advice- feel the fear and do it anyway. I’m always telling people to follow that route.
I will try and remember what I wanted to say. I know I feel so hurt and disappointed. I feel he’ll assert that he was just trying to secure his own happiness and there isn’t really a lot you can say to that.
I also have a therapy session before our meetup so hopefully that’ll help. I guess I’ve tried to minimise the pain on a daily basis on a manageable way for the past three months while now I’m heading straight into the fire like a fool!
I just hope I’m not too broken after. I’ll be on here straight after x
December 17, 2018 at 9:30 am #269667KkasxoParticipantShelby,
I look forward to hearing from you after your meet! I’ll keep an eye out for your post!
December 18, 2018 at 12:30 am #269763ShelbyvilleParticipantMorning,
It was late when I got home last night and I was exhausted. Basically I don’t really know how the meetup went. I think I need to process it yet. On the surface it went fine. Better than fine in some ways. My ex and I laughed and joked like we always have and everything felt easy. It felt easy being in his company.
My therapist suggested not going into it with too many ideas of how exactly I wanted it to turn out so that’s the approach I took. I was funny and quick witted and mocked him a little at times for the way he deals with things and he laughed.
He seemed extremely worried about me and says he’s always available to talk to if I need to. We talked about family and things that have been happening in our lives and I think he felt terrible for me that there has been a few bereavements and upsetting events in my life since we split.
The moments where he opened up were few and far between. He could be laughing and joking with me one minute and then I ask him a serious question and his face changes and he went almost silent with a furrowed brow. He says everyone he knows has told him to cop on and that he’s made a mistake. His mum was extremely upset for a while when she found out we had split.
At the end of the day he admitted he wasn’t ready and he felt that being in a relationship was hard and he didn’t think it was meant to be that hard. He said the fact that he ended up ringing a psychologist in the final days of our relationship made him look back in hindsight and think ‘what on earth am I doing, making out there is a huge problem here when I’m just not ready’. He said that really made him question why he was doing all these things he didn’t feel comfortable with. He felt his time was no longer his own and that he wasn’t in control of things. I think that’s a big thing for him….control. Not unlike myself really. He said he felt pressure and didn’t like it. I explained that maybe there was pressure from me but that wasn’t unnatural in a relationship with a man I love for 4 years, it’s natural to want to move on. He said he knows that.
I asked him what he meant when he said he saw me in his future. He said he meant what he said. I asked, what does that mean and he replied ‘just what you said’…..I asked him was he speaking in riddles and he just shook his head and said no.
He said he has seen one or two of my family and friends around, at a distance.
He injured himself at work and had been in my neck of the woods for treatment over the past number of weeks. He said he was keeping his head down and just working for the past few months. He went abroad for a week but it rained every single day. He went to London for a show but when he got there his ticket was not valid…so I joked that these are all karma! Including his injury. He wondered if I had a baseball in my bag to tackle him.
I told him that it’s been hard for me and while I’m doing loads of things myself, I’m drained from thinking about him every day. He said he has been thinking about me every day too. He said he did what he thought was the right thing to do by breaking up with me and that it was the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. I asked him what would make him happy and he said he still doesn’t know. I asked did he want to live at home, did he want to change job, stay in job etc, what would make him fulfilled in life? He said he has no idea and can’t figure it out. I agreed that it can be very difficult to figure that out as I’m having the same difficulty to some extent.
I told him I deserve to live a life where I’m not drained and crying a lot and he agreed. I told him I feel what we had was special and that there were issues but I wouldn’t have stayed in it unless I believed we could work them out and that I value who I am. (Even if I don’t feel it right now!!) I told him that I get angry sometimes at what he has let go and that he’s an idiot.
Basically there was a lot of joking again etc and I tried to keep the tears at bay. (Public place) but they came out at times. He sat in front of me and I felt he was using restraint not to reach out and comfort me. I found it hard to be so close to him too. He said I look really good and I repaid the compliment. His pupils were dilated for the whole evening, but I bet mine were the same.
But all the good things, were peppered with the sad and heartbreaking sentences too. He walked me to my car in the rain and we hugged, I said I’d give him a kiss and he presented his cheek. He again said I can talk to him any time and I explained that that’s not really a possibility, he disagreed and I disagreed and he joked that I always have to have the last word.
When I got in my car, he asked if I wanted to speak to him over Xmas and I said I didn’t know and he said no problem, to have a think about it.
This morning, writing this all down, I don’t know what to think. Firstly, I didn’t get closure I guess, that’s my first assessment. I didn’t remember all the things I meant to ask him either, but my therapist said not to worry too much about that. Have I still some hope? Yes. So I guess the interaction didn’t help me in one way. I’m confused. I don’t know if he was trying to be his kind, gentleman type self and just worried about the impact his actions had on me or if he still has feelings for me. I got the sense he does, but nonetheless, not ones he’s willing to change his actions for, or I don’t know.
He said when we were hugging goodbye that he’s still working on trying to figure things out.
Sorry for the long post. It’s hard to condense three hours.
December 18, 2018 at 2:03 am #269775KkasxoParticipantShelby,
I was on standby all evening just in case you came back in despair but I am glad to hear that the meeting went somewhat good actually?!
The first thing I can say from reading your post is that he DOES love you, 100%. And as I have suggested before, I knew very well that him ‘getting on with things’ and seemingly ‘loving life’ is all a front when the reality is he thinks about you all the time. I know this because the situation with my ex was exactly the same!! Nights out here, holidays there, working, coping, managing whilst I couldn’t get out of bed most days – that to me looks like a functioning human being and that hurt! It’s not until he actually opened up that he told me all the things your ex told you – that it was the hardest thing he has ever had to do, that he thinks about me all the time, that it hurts.. So I’m glad your ex was man enough to tell you those things as I suppose in a way it helps to know the other person is also hurting to some extent, although in my case even after hearing those things I still saw him very much as a functioning person – you may be hurting but you’re getting on with things and I am not, and that p***ed me off!
As it stands you have to literally take his word, everything he said. So yes he does love you, yes he does care, yes he is concerned about you as he doesn’t want you to hurt, he hopes for some kind of future with you, yes this has hurt him but also he is not ready, he felt pressure, he doesn’t actually know what he want’s from life, he’s struggling to figure it all out and feels he doesn’t want to drag you along in the process – quite wise and considerate if you ask me (although may feel the complete opposite for you because I know you’d rather sit out and ‘wait’ for him rather than have to go through this).
I can completely understand that the laughs and emotions throughout the conversation have confused you and rightly so. (Gosh this sounds so much like me and my ex!!!!!!!!) I think the important thing to remember here is that despite this horrible heartbreak he is trying to do right by you and himself. He DOES love you, he just cant be what you need him to be for you right now. Nonetheless it is quite normal that you guys have sprung back to your old selves laughing and joking – we did the exact same! It’s like I couldn’t even stay angry at him for breaking my heart, frustrating to say the least!
I think you need to work on accepting the circumstances as they are. Maybe not so much hold on to hope but from the sounds of it this break up isn’t forever.. But you have to accept what it is at this present moment. Right now, you are not together, he is figuring himself out and you should do the same. You have to go back to complete basics and learn to live life for you. I know you have been struggling with this and maybe this process may be easier if you tell yourself that there is a possibility of reconciliation down the line?! By the time you get there, even if the opportunity doesn’t come about you’ll be in a much better headspace to accept it once and for all!
It is such a shame that a man in his thirties STILL doesn’t know what he wants. I understand people have their own timings but come on! I get so impatient with my ex (approaching his mid twenties) but he is really pushing it now! I do believe this is largely influenced by his family. Because although they were upset to hear about your split, of course, you were a part of their family, they’re not exactly giving him the push either! They should be the ones to say to him ‘Son! You’re a grown up! Go and be with your woman, creating YOUR life together!’ but unfortunately they aren’t and to be honest they’re only harming him in the long run.
It’s funny actually because in my ex’s culture it is required that if the girls (daughters) get into a relationship they are to be engaged pretty quickly as a sign of commitment from their partner – that is the expectation. If he doesn’t propose he is clearly not serious and having a boyfriend is considered quite sluttish maybe?! I don’t know. However for the men, (sons) completely different story, ‘No honey you don’t need to rush to get married, stay free as long as you can, live your life etc etc!’. Perfect example is my ex’s sister, she was with her now husband for two years IN SECRET because she didn’t want to get engaged, as soon as she brought him home to introduce him to the family he had to ask for her hand in marriage! Whereas my ex’s brother has been with his girlfriend for 20 years now, they have two mortgages and two children together and never married! Because the expectations are just different and quite frankly his parents don’t even question why they aren’t married after 20 years together! Crazy!
So essentially whatever my ex’s family want for their daughters, they don’t want that for their son’s or daughter in laws! Stupid if you ask me.
December 18, 2018 at 3:22 am #269777ShelbyvilleParticipantHi Kkasxo,
It’s starting to go round my head a little more today as I processed nothing last night at all. Just fell asleep.
I can’t say my ex sees a future with me to be honest, when I referenced that, I meant he said that in the past and I wanted to know what he meant back then when he said it. He gave me no indication that there would be anything further with us ever again.
As I said, I feel he only suggested speaking at Xmas because he knows I find it a hard time of year due to previous bereavements.
So basically, I’m not sure how to feel. Are we done, can I move on now? Is there some glimmer of hope? Did I totally read the situation wrong?! No clue. Some other questions re-entered my head OF COURSE after I had left him! I couldn’t think of any in his presence, typical!
I messaged him when I got home to say thanks for meeting me and that he looked really good (there seemed to be a bit of electricity when we met) and then told him to look after his injury and take care. He just responded by saying ‘you too’.
I do believe he loves me, but I don’t think he’s ready to accept that. Also, I think the love is as much love as he is capable of giving, but is less than what is possible – according to other people’s opinions and my therapists advice.
I wish I was in a position to be happy to explore new possibilities but I’m not. The thoughts of even going on a date with some random stranger feels absolutely something I would hate.
I guess I didn’t ask what I wanted to/should have asked. Is there a chance for us in the future. But I was conscious of not putting too much pressure on our interaction and not expecting too much from the outcome. So I let it lie. Maybe that’s a cop out, maybe I just was too afraid to hear the answer – I don’t know. I guess I’m trying to be self aware.
He is incredibly stubborn, like no-one I’ve ever met. So even if his family pushed him to change his mind, he wouldn’t. He fundamentally believes he did the right thing and he can’t make himself feel something he doesn’t feel. So he’s not gonna get back into something where the outcome will be the same and he will feel restricted and unhappy.
In fairness he told me of lots of silly crappy things that have happened to him lately and I felt a small measure of contentment at his discomfort which I joked about! Karma sometimes works out! He attended his work Xmas party last weekend and went for a nap in his hotel while his colleagues were eating dinner as it was an event for partners aswell and he didn’t want to highlight that he was single but he said they all figured it out by the end of the night.
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