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Relationship Shut out again perhaps? i am going crazy....help!

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kt17

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A year ago, I posted my story. Shut out...not sure why :(

Essentially I had not spoken to him in a year after I was shut out. Last October I checked in to see how he was and he said it was nice to hear from me, etc. and asked how I was doing, but it did take him 5 days to respond.

Now, I have been living not too far from where he lives and have been here for a few months. I have struggled to move on from him, but was hesitant to contact him as I was worried about the outcome. Anyway, I decided to finally do so the other night. I sent a text asking how he was, and he responded immediately - the fastest response I have ever had from him. He asked me questions and I told him I would like to see him and he said ‘of course we can get together’. He said some time next week as he had days off work. I wanted him to feel comfortable and then I told him that it would just be nice to catch up…no expectations or stress, and I was happy to go over to his house and just hang out. He said that sounds great. I told him I would be in contact to arrange.

I then called him last weekend and he didn’t answer, so I sent a text asking to see when we can catch up. He messaged me back straight away and said he was out at dinner, and said we can definitely catch up during the week, and that he would call me later if it wasn’t too late. He called me the next day. I hadn’t spoken to him in over a year. We had a good conversation and things just sounded so normal, and nothing was in question, and then I started thinking I was crazy for thinking all this stuff about him, because he seemed like he was functioning so well - he had moved house, was busy traveling and with work, etc.

He asked if I would come up and visit him and he sounded completely keen. I told him the days I was free and he said he was getting his work schedule that day and would then let me know. I also told him it was my birthday that week too. I never heard anything. I texted a couple of days later asking him if he got his schedule and when I could come and see him. No response at all.

This was the exact same trend as what happened a year ago. I just don’t understand it…if he didn’t want to see me, why would he text back and call me back and say he does, etc.? When I spoke to him, I had no reason to doubt him or ask him as to whether he is sure he wants to catch up, as everything on the phone sounded so certain, and he was so interested in my life over the past year, and did not seem in a hurry to get off the phone.

I know he’s not a dick, and would not intentionally mess me around. We have always had that mutual respect for one another and have never really argued.

Can someone please help me understand why he may do this?

Could I perhaps trigger something?

I am sure that people will tell me to just let it go, but I really just can't right now, and feel like I just need to see him, even just for some closure.

Any advice as to how to handle it from here? I am very patient and know how to give space and have never bombarded him with texts.

But I am just completely lost right now!
 
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I have struggled to move on from him

You are still struggling. I don't know why. Have you asked yourself this?

I told him I would like to see him

You instigate contact.... Not him.

He asked if I would come up and visit him and he sounded completely keen. I told him the days I was free and he said he was getting his work schedule that day and would then let me know.

He delays...

No response at all.

And doesn't get back to you....

help me understand why he may do this?

If he was really interested he would not do ^^^ He would be showing a lot more interest and doing something to make contact happen. But he's not. You are doing all the running and he is not being 'a dick'. Do men have to be 'a dick' for you to disengage? This sounds harsh - it's not meant to be.

just let it go, but I really just can't right now

This is where you seem to be struggling.

I just need to see him,

Of course you do. You want this this man to reciprocate your feelings. But he isn't and he doesn't. So now you seem to be desperate for something he doesn't want.

help me understand why he may do this?

He's making no effort to have this contact/relationship with you. You seem to expect that he should and are getting tangled up because he isn't. Could it be he just isn't that interested?
 
I would stop blaming it on PTSD isolations if he doesn't have a PTSD diagnosis.

He sounds like a garden variety ghoster... some guys (and girls too, to be fair) do that so they don't have to do the actual job of breaking up. They just kinda stop communicating and hope the girl goes away on their own. It's all very spineless really. He's avoiding a confrontation, and lots and lots and LOTS of people without PTSD act like this too. You won't get closure out of him.
 
I am not sure if he does have a formal PTSD diagnosis, but he did bring up PTSD to me once and told me that his ex thought he was suffering. Certain behaviours were very consistent with a diagnosis, and his previous profession would indicate a high susceptibility.

I am only holding onto it because when he has pushed me away, I have asked if he wants me to leave him alone, and he told me clearly that he doesn't want me to go away, and always tells me that it's nice to hear from me. I have given him plenty of opportunities for him to tell me if he's not interested. And he previously told me he has no reservations about me, but his biggest concern was that I will lose patience with him.

He mentioned it several times last week that he wanted to see me. Yes, I have initiated the contact, but I just cannot understand why he would bother to go through all of that, text back straight away, and then call me back, and ask when I am free and actually make plans? Is it not just easier to be elusive or say he's busy or travelling, etc.?! Perhaps I am just more straight up with people and let them know where they stand, and have never ghosted or blocked anyone, so it is hard for me to understand why people would do that. His actions are just so inconsistent with his behaviour when I speak with him, as everything on the phone sounds completely fine! Given his history, I nearly asked him straight out on the phone as to whether he is sure he wants to see me, etc. but when speaking, I didn't feel it was necessary as everything seemed so certain, and I started to question whether I was crazy to think all these things about him and to be worried that he might do it again!

Anyway, it's not like I have put my life on hold for him in any way, but I was just trying to get some sort of insight of anything else that could be at play in this situation, as I have never experienced anything like this before.
 
When was the last time you saw him in person?
I met him over 2 years ago. It has been a bit over a year since I saw him because I haven't been back to his city since then, and I live very, very far away. Prior to meeting him and whilst dating him, I would regularly travel to his city for work, etc. Now that I am back on a work contract for the last few months, which is less than an hour drive from him, I thought I would get in contact to see how he was and hopefully catch up.
 
He sounds just like me.
Maybe he's MGTOW?
(men going their own way)

The only way this is going to end is when you let go and move on.
He's not going to change.
Just let go. It's only going to get harder if you don't.
Some men just don't commit to women. Doesnt mean you're a bad woman or that he doesn't like you. He just doesn't want the same things you want. Just let go.
 
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I actually disagree. I think if you are able to wrangle an in-person conversation with him, then you will probably get the answers you need. Right now it's all wild speculation. Of course, this may not be possible, but it's worth a few extra shots.
 
Ok. Let's assume for the moment that he does have PTSD. (HUGE assumption by the way. Many people suffer trauma and do not develop PTSD and many symptoms of PTSD also occur in other mental health disorders or in "normal" ;) people.)

So... he likes you and when you get in touch he starts thinking he would like to see you. And then he freaks out and ghosts.

This isn't going to change anytime soon. If he's not well enough to even see you then he sure as hell is not well enough for a relationship.

Walk away. Move on. Accept that its sad because if it wasn't for his PTSD maybe it would be a great relationship. But that's about all the closure you'll ever get.
 
Ok let’s assume he has a mental disorder of some sort.

Many of us with a mental illness are flaky as f*ck. We don’t know how we’re going to feel on any given day. We cancel plans, we are wishy washy.

This all stems from the fact that our symptoms rule our life.

This inconsistency? Nope, not changing.

Accept that you’ll only get to see him a fraction of the time that he says he want to see you. If you can’t accept this? Walk on.

I’m flaky. I cancel. I have friends who accept this about me. I also have friends who are flaky and cancel. I accept this about them.
 
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