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Relationship Ups and downs

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AngelBaby

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This is my first thread on the forum, I usually skim through posts and read up on others similar experiences to bring myself some comfort and or find answers. A little back story on my LDR with my USAF Vet with combat PTSD.

T and I met summer of 2018 following my fathers death. He was at the funeral. A couple days after the funeral I got a friend request from him. I was grieving pretty bad at the time. He got my number and we talked every single day. At the end of that month I drove 8 hours to see him. From that moment on, we talked, text, and saw eachother 1 weekend a month. He opened up to me about his PTSD, I opened up to him about my grief and pain. We both helped eachother in a dark time in our lives. We got really close, fell for eachother, and I became really codependent of him. After New Years (2019) I had a trip planned to see him, he was going through isolation and depression so I sent him a text saying I didn’t think it was a good time and I understood if he felt he needed some space. He insisted I come and said “I need you”. So I drove 10 hours (traffic) to spend a couple days with him. Once I got there, he started a fight with me over a photo he saw on snap chat, it was not a big deal at all. Was a photo of me with Darth Vader carrying me, but he blew it way out of proportion and drove back to his place leaving me abandoned in a town I’m not familiar with and have no friends or family in. I begged him to please come back and let’s enjou our time together. I was unable to check in to the room even tho I paid for it because he used his vet Id to get a military discount. After 10 hours of me being stranded in the rain, he agreed to go and check me in but not stay. There’s so much more to this story, it was a really nasty breakup that left me angry and heartbroken. We spent majority of 2019 broken up but always keeping contact with one another. I tried from Jan to May to get us back with no luck. I decided to back away and work on myself, began dating again, was finally feeling like myself again after not only losing my father who was my best friend but also the man I love. At the end of November T wrote me, we both caught up on each others lives and he told me how well he was doing. He has his own business now, bought a house, and has been actively in therapy. Asked to try us out again and wanted to date. Of course I agreed. So now I’m here. Back to square one. He has been in isolation for a month now, everytime I mention my feeling he apologizes and says he’s going to try harder. I don’t know what to do at this point. I’m trying to remain strong, trying to be as understanding as I can be, but it seems like I constantly hit dead ends with him. Yesterday he text me saying his has a mental health evaluation and an appointment for a procedure that has to do with his throat not swallowing. I asked him to please let me know how it all goes, I love him, and if he needs anything at all, I am here. He hasn’t contacted me back or replied to any of my texts. I feel like if I don’t text, are we still together? Will he think I don’t care? But if I do, I’m left feeling alone and empty.

I’ve worked hard on myself last year to get to a place of not depending on him for my happiness. I have my work, friends, 2 children that I’m occupied with, still hurts to not have the closeness I long for in my relationship. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.
 
He said he wants to work it out... but has he actually done any work? It sounds like he is sucking all your energy and love, and not giving anything back.

He never goes more than 3 days without contact, always tells me he loves me, and helps me with things that are going on with my finances, car, or kids. So he does care.
It’s the times when he doesn’t contact me or make that effort to close the distance that makes me question what it is I’m doing because I don’t know if I’m doing anything wrong to make him not want to be near me.
 
there’s a few threads by @Glara that resonated with me. Word for word of her experience, I have been through at one point. I’m trying my hardest to give him the space he seems to want but where does that leave me? When does it come to a point of me giving my all with nothing in return. It’s very conflicting. I’m having a hard time because I made promises to accept all of him and if I don’t, does it mean I went back on my word? How do I propose a visit without adding more pressure on his life? I’m sorry, I know you’ve probably heard this all before. It’s just a sh**** situation to be in.
 
I’m trying my hardest to give him the space he seems to want but where does that leave me? When does it come to a point of me giving my all with nothing in return.
The moment it bothers you.

For one person that’s going to be 15 minutes, another can easily go 15 months. 15 minute & 15 month people rarely get together to begin with...

((because one person is OMFG LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE :banghead: and the other is all Wah-wha-waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! They don’t loooooooooove meeeeeeeeee. :arghh; & both easily decide the other is effing crazy.))

...but facts are? Neither person is wrong. They’re just wrong for each other.

Clearly, one would think thay 15min & 45min, once a day & once a week, and 6mo & 15mo pairings would work better (hey, at least they’re in the same ballpark), but IME -if anything- there’s a helluva lot more friction. Because people are still asking others to stretch past their natural inclinations.... but it’s not an outright “you must be joking” difference. Sometimes there’s more than enough wiggle room to compromise, sometimes there isn’t. Compromise can & does work amazingly, when you can venn diagram that shit, and find where things meet in the middle. But when either, or both, people are sacrificing instead of compromising? Not finding a place where both are happy, but only 1 or neither is happy? That’s got about a 2 year fuse on it, in my experience. And kaboom. Relationship blows up.

Just scrolling back... it looks like you two have been together about 18months? Yep. That’s coming up on that 2 year mark where people are increasingly unhappy and not willing to live this way long term & starting fighting for the other person to start doing things “right”.
 
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Yes alittle over a year and a half. Our relationship ended because I felt as though I was putting forth so much effort. I had a lot of pent up resentment building up. That final argument was what did it for me, but the attachment I had to him is what kept me in contact during the breakup. Even while I was dating other people, we still talked. It wasn’t until I decided I needed to focus on healing and moving on was when he popped back into my life and wanted to work it out. I don’t know if the reason for him wanting to “commit” was out of fear of losing me.

You’re right tho, there’s a lot of history that seems to be repeating itself. My love and sacrifice, with his inability to give me what I need. I want to believe he will get better because I love him so much. A few days ago he thanked me for being so patient with him, little does he know it’s killing me inside.

Is there any hope? How do I let go and find a middle ground here? I don’t want to give up on him but it’s been emotionally draining. I stay busy during the day, obsessing and lonely at night.
 
Yes alittle over a year and a half. Our relationship ended because I felt as though I was putting forth so much effort. I had a lot of pent up resentment building up. That final argument was what did it for me, but the attachment I had to him is what kept me in contact during the breakup. Even while I was dating other people, we still talked. It wasn’t until I decided I needed to focus on healing and moving on was when he popped back into my life and wanted to work it out. I don’t know if the reason for him wanting to “commit” was out of fear of losing me.

You’re right tho, there’s a lot of history that seems to be repeating itself. My love and sacrifice, with his inability to give me what I need. I want to believe he will get better because I love him so much. A few days ago he thanked me for being so patient with him, little does he know it’s killing me inside.

Is there any hope? How do I let go and find a middle ground here? I don’t want to give up on him but it’s been emotionally draining. I stay busy during the day, obsessing and lonely at night.

Hiya. That's doesn't sound like a healthy and happy relationship. It sounds like your losing on all fronts and at the butt end of the relationship. My advice is find someone new and redirect your energy into a more balanced relationship with someone else. Best wishes to you and good luck. S3.
 
We get better - maybe - when we are willing to do the work that makes that happen. No one can change us, or do the work for us, or love us enough to make us better.
I’ve worked hard on myself last year to get to a place of not depending on him for my happiness.
You get major kudos for doing this ^^^^ but you still have the struggle with wanting him to change to make you happy with him as a partner. That's not good or bad - it just is. You want a partner who can be a partner. Not someone you can't count on.

A few days ago he thanked me for being so patient with him, little does he know it’s killing me inside.
Then why are you doing it? Especially if he isn't meeting you halfway? His demons will rule his life until he deals with them and that is going to be an ugly process because we usually get much worse before we get better. He's already treating you like crap by not meeting your needs and not being a true partner. How much more are you willing to tolerate from him?

What do YOU want from a relationship?
 
You have two kids in the mix. You dont say how old they are, or else I have missed something. They need to see what a happy healthy relationship is, they need role models, and from what I have read, this isnt it. You can’t help who you love, maybe, that’s a whole other discusssion, but you can make good decisions around it. If it is already causing you this amount of grief in the 18 months you have been together, it will likely never change. Your kids if they are young did not sign on for a life of drama, and no matter how much you may try to shield them, they will see through. Just a different take on your situation.

Obsessing and lonely at night is not a good way to live. That kind of angst sucks the life from your soul and makes you sad and needy. You are better than this and deserve more for yourself. I would block him. And move on. Just my opinion.
 
I appreciate the feedback and advice, although it’s not what I was hoping to hear. He called me today and we caught up on our weekends. He mentioned he started coaching his sons soccer team which has been taking up most of his time. He gets his son every other weekend and has been going through a nasty custody battle with his ex wife (who is now remarried).

I know I have to come to terms with what it is at the moment. I see all that he is doing in his recovery, so I do commend him on that. Maybe he just isn’t capable of taking on a relationship right now? I’m going to have a talk about this with him when I feel it’s a good time. I don’t want to throw too much at him after he’s just went through health issues. Again thank you. It feels good to have an outlet to come to when I feel I have nowhere else to turn to.
 
They need to see what a happy healthy relationship is, they need role models, and from what I have read, this isnt it. You can’t help who you love, maybe, that’s a whole other discusssion

I have thought a lot about this over the last year. our children have met, we all love and get along great together. It’s just a matter of his mental well-being and whether it will be something that will improve one day. Because I know if this is how it is, I can’t have my children subjected to it.

I have a 9 and 5 year old. His son is 13.
 
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