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Relationship Need Advice. He Broke Up With Me.

  • Post starter Post starter keylan13
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keylan13

I have posted here a couple of times before. At this point I don't know where to turn. My boyfriend has combat ptsd. He has been home for four years and in that time he has been unsuccessful at any relationship he has chosen. He lost his wife right after he came home. He had just found out about his ptsd and wasn't handling it well. She is a great woman but he pushed her away and is honest about that. He had a very toxic relationship that went off and on for a couple of years. His family has told me that this woman would manipulate the situation until he was so sick mentally he would do something crazy and then she would cry out to everyone for attention. I've been told that because of her he was committed a few times. She is not an issue any longer having moved on thank God. He had one other (what he claims to be) serious relationship. She cheated on him and it was over after a couple of months. These are the women he has told me he has loved before me.

His family tells me that other than his ex wife, there is no love there. There is obsession where the one is involved but it has gotten so bad with her involved that his family has basically banned the woman from ever entering his life again. He says he loved the woman that cheated on him but again his family says that it lasted at most a couple of months and in reality there was no love there, just a honeymoon stage interrupted by her cheating.

Then there's me. We met 2 years ago. Both of us clicked almost immediately. Because he has ptsd and because he is 7 yr younger than me, we both tried to keep it very casual. Things just kept falling into place though and in 6 months we were "officially together" SInce then we have had our moments, we have even dealt with a breakdown before, but nothing like now. We lived together but he would never give up his apartment for fear he would have no where to run to if things went bad. Something he was honest about. Other than that we have literally spent almost every day and night together for the past year and a half.

We have been happy, or so I thought. Our kids love each of us. His daughter lives in my house now. Every October, my boyfriend starts to go downhill. There is a lot packed into Oct-Dec. He has a lot of anniversaries. Anniversaries from he war, not great ones.Anniversary of when he came home from the war. This is the time of year his marriage fell apart. This is time of year he was committed, that crazy lady made his life hell. He had a terrible mother who told him and his siblings they weren't worth it when it came to Christmas. So what Ive been told by his family is that every year around this time he basically loses it.

Last year he lost it as well. He came to me right before Christmas and told me that he had reconnected with crazy lady and they were going to give it a go. I told him that I loved him, but if that's what he thought he needed to do then I wouldn't stop him. They saw each other Dec. thru March. They started fighting about 2 weeks in and he started to go downhill rapidly. The entire time he would call me and show up at my house in the middle of the night saying he missed me and he didn't know what to do because though he thought he loved her, she was making him sick. Finally after months of dealing with him and their toxic issues, he broke it off with her and came back to me officially. We later found out that she was cheating most of that time and today she lives with that other man.

Since that time we have been great. Again things just sort of fell into place and we have been more than happy. Then about 3 weeks ago his army vet buddy showed up. At first he actually seemed irritated by his friends presence and his way of doing things. This guy has ptsd as well. He has major issues and never stays still, constantly traveling. He has HUGE issues with his girlfriend. Then about a week into his visit my boyfriend who was more than cuddly and loving that morning, comes back from a day of hiking with his friend and tells me he wants space, that the spark isn't there, that he loves me deeply but doesn't feel in love, and that he cant give me a definite but that he wanted some time. I told him that I could do that , knowing that this is the time of year he goes downhill. The space lasted a day and he was calling me wanting to see me, getting upset with me for giving him the space he asked for. So I followed his lead and when he would ask me to visit I would come over. He even asked me to stay a few of those nights. Then out of no where he lost it on me.

He told me that I was irresponsible and unproductive. I am single mom raising my 3 children and his child. I work full time, I am in school fulltime working on my BA, and I go to the gym at least 1 to 2 times a day. Before his friend came, he was always happy, always dancing around and singing. He does photography and videography as a hobby but is really amazing at it and hopes to one day turn it into something. Up until 3 weeks ago he was working on projects or simply just working on old things to keep himself busy. His friend is a photographer and he came here to work on a project with my guy but they haven't really done anything other than talk about it for 3 weeks. Other than that he has continued to go to the gym but his behavior has changed. He sleeps a lot. He is going out to bars and drinking, something he can't do due to his history with that, and he is very contradicatory in his words.

Since he lost it on me , he has been very distant. I have seen him a couple of times, he has asked me to go to the gym with him and asked me to stop by a couple of times. In the past he has always needed me to get through these things and nw he acts as though I'm just anther buddy. Last night I may have screwed up. I became emotional and lonely and I texted him and asked him if this was worth holding out for. Was I wasting my time. I shouldn't have tried to make him make any decisions but the girl in me took over and here we sit. He replied back and told me not to wait on him. That I can't give him what he needs and he doesn't want to keep resenting me for it. He told me that he loved me and that for the kids, we needed to stay friends and stay close. He asked me to please not go out and seek attention from other men. Not that this has ever been an issue but he has paranoia that I will. He asked me to stay in school, the gym, and keep moving forward for the kids. He told meat he was sorry he hurt me but he didn't want to lie to me.

I was devastated. Just a month ago he was talking to me about possibly having a real home together when his lease is up in Jan. Now he says he isn't in love with e.
His brother and sister in law have always been the ones to take care of him. I spoke to his sister in law last night. She called me because his daughter was worried about her dad and called and left a message. I explained what was happening. They told me a little of what my guy had been through since he came home. It was bad. really bad. And it always happens this time of year. I was told that since he met me, he has been a completely different person and that they finally thought he was on a healthier path. I really don't know whats real and what isn't at this point. They have asked me to hold on until at least after his friend leaves and he can clear his head. I need perspective from sufferers and supporters. Who has been through this? can you help me?
 
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Sigh! The big question in any relationship (PTSD or not) - is this a bad patch in an otherwise good relationship or is this a bad relationship?

So, in favour of the first option are the following:
- its the time of year he always loses it
- his buddy is here and is a bad influence
- his brother and sister-in-law think he'll come around.

And, in favour of the second option are:
- he expects you to move on without him EXCEPT that you are not to date other men (um... dog in the manger much?)
- he's drinking
- last year he left you for an ex
- he seems to expect you to continue to raise his child even though you are not together.

You know what they say... if nothing changes then nothing changes. Is he doing anything to try to make sure that you don't go through this again next year? And the year after that? And after that? If so, what? If not, are you ok with your life falling apart every 12 months?

Sorry to be so blunt but time does not heal all wounds. He is not going to suddenly be fine Oct - Dec.

My vet has anniversaries spread throughout the year. Its shite. It often feels like we lurch from crisis to crisis. Hugs if you accept them.
 
He goes back to an ex crazy for a few months and you take him back...? I don't get it, this is self torture on your part. It seems to me you are enabling him by keeping his daughter by giving him a little too much space without boundaries. He has no reason to change, and you have every reason to get off this merry go round. If he says he isn't in love with you, take it at face value and move on. No one should be expected to play these little head games, and he needs to be rearing his own child. Move on with his expectations? Hell no. You move on to what you need and what is best for your kids. They do not need this, neither did they sign up for it. What you show them you will accept in a relationship now is what they will learn to accept in their own when they grow up.
 
From about late Sept through Feb/March mine has a really rough time. I met him at the tail end of it but honestly the past year was almost like a war zone at times. I'll admit I didn't accept when he told me he wasn't sure what he wanted at one point because I knew it wasn't really him talking. If I couldn't get through to him I wrote what I was feeling and prayed he read it. So, yes I pushed and I wouldn't give up but at dale time he agreed to get help and is now on meds and while it's not a cure it's made a huge difference. Also I've found ways to approach him where he will open up and we try to figure things out together. I do mood checks seeing where he's at. This is the first year he isn't dreading the holidays last year my kids had to spend it with there dad and every last one was destroyed for me. He's making the effort. It's a lot of work and it can be exhausting but he has to be willing to at least try and get better or your spinning your wheels and unfortunately nursenurse is right. I'm dealing with some of that now.
 
This is what I'm dealing with as well right now. Can't tell if this is just a rough patch, or if this just isn't going to improve. Relationship was so wonderful in the beginning. He pursued me hard and wouldn't take no for an answer. Things went well till the PTSD reared its ugly head, and here we are. I've been dealing with his isolation for 6 weeks. Haven't seen him at all in those 6 weeks, and don't hear much from him. He doesn't let me know what he wants, and then gets angry when I can't read his mind. I've been very patient, haven't pressured him to see me, sent encouraging messages that didn't require a response, tried not to text too often, never pressured him for a phone call and so on. In spite of all of it, he said I'm pissing him off reaching out to him so much, yet said he hadn't broken up with me. I got the angry outburst over text the other night and have just left him alone since. At a loss for what to do. Just giving him space for a while. I have some soul searching to do.
 
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