I’ve(26F) been in this relationship for about half a year now and my bf (29M) keeps telling me that he wants to have sex without condoms. He doesn’t seem to be an idiot but his logic is solely based on him taking it out on time. For me there are millions of reasons why I want to have it with condoms and I strongly do not agree using hormones pills just for his extra pleasure points. He doesn’t force me to do it, but he mentions it from time to time and it annoys me a lot. Yesterday he said a complete nonsense after sex “sex with a condom is not a sex” and I old him that he is trying to guilt trip me/ manipulate me into something I don’t want. He got extremely offended for me calling him a manipulator and refuses to understand why I called him that way. On top of that, he is asking me to apologize for calling him a manipulator.

I don’t want to breakup because f this as it seems to be a minor issue, but still. Isn’t it crazy that the person does not understand me even on such simple level?

TL;DR Am I wrong for calling my bf a manipulator for telling me “sex with a condom is not sex”?

I (32F) haven't spoken to my dad since I was 21. He was a pretty awful father growing up. He drank a lot, had a terrible temper and my mom and I spent most of my childhood trying not to upset him.

When I moved out for college, he told me not to bother coming back if I thought I was too good for the family. So I didn't.

My mom eventually divorced him and I've had no contact with him since.

I have a 4 year old daughter now. My dad knows about her through relatives but he's never met her.

Last Sunday he showed up at my house completely unannounced. I genuinely didn't recognize him at first. He's lost a lot of weight and looks much older than I remember.

He told me he'd been sober for almost 3 years and wanted to apologize for how he treated me. He also said he'd been diagnosed with a heart condition and didn't know how much time he had left.

I listened to him for a while. He cried, which was something I'd never seen him do before.

Then he asked if he could meet my daughter.

I told him I was glad he'd gotten sober but I wasn't comfortable with that. He said he wasn't asking me to forgive him, just to let him meet his granddaughter once.

I still said no.

He didn't argue. He just said he understood and left.

A couple days later my aunt called and told me he'd been really upset. Apparently he'd been carrying around a little stuffed rabbit he'd bought for my daughter for months but was too scared to contact me.

My aunt thinks I could've at least let him see her for a few minutes, especially considering his health.

The part that's bothering me is that he actually seemed different. And I know people can change. But I also spent years wishing he'd be a different person, and I don't know if I owe him another chance just because he's finally become one.

My husband supports my decision, but my mom said something that's been stuck in my head. She said I don't have to forgive him, but I should make sure I'm not making a decision I'll regret if he dies.

tldr: My 32F abusive father 59M showed up after 11 years of no contact, claiming he's sober and seriously ill. He wants to meet my 4 year old daughter, but I refused. Now my family thinks I should give him a chance before it's too late. I don't know if I'm protecting my daughter or making a decision I'll regret.

My husband (36m) has always been inclined towards alternative/conspiracy theories. As a young adult, it was ancient aliens and late night radio talk show stuff. Seemed mostly just for entertainment, and he didn't bug me (36F) with it. I'm a firm believer in agree to disagree and everyone has a right to their own beliefs, so I didn't think anything of it.

Fast forward to covid. He gets on tiktok and starts getting into all kinds of stupid, false content about vaccines causing people to glow, have altered DNA, get nanobots, etc. Starts trying to tell me about all this crap, I tell him he needs to go to some actual reputable sources to learn about this disease, and that random videos from people on social media are not reputable sources. He balks at me, but largely backs off.

After he gets bored of twittwat and covid hysteria starts dying down, he moves over to Facebook. Starts spending hours a day binging those stupid reel videos. Political stuff, the government, conspiracies around those things. He has gone deeper and deeper down the twisting, turning, festering rabbit hole of misinformation and he just will not stop. Here are some "facts" he has shared with me:

*Jeff Epstein (who is "still alive") and Co. were not only abusing minors, but apparently cannibalizing them too (adrenochrome). Any and every person who has ever known Jeff Ep is involved with this scheme. Even Oprah.

*McDonald's routinely uses human flesh in their food. They get to call it 100% real beef because they purchase their "meat" from The 100% Real Beef Company

*Disney is run by Black-hating Jews who also run the world as part of a global cabal of bad guys. Said cabal includes all world governments, billionaires, and big corporations.

*The world as we know it will end in 5-10 years. The Government put up flock cameras as a form of mass surveillance to try and suppress the uprising.

*Our state's hunting and fishing regulations are not about conservation, but a plot by the government to force us to shop at the grocery store, thereby making us more dependent upon The System.

I could go on and on. When he gets going with this stuff, I literally feel like I am talking to a schizophrenic off their meds. Like I am living with someone who has lost touch with reality. He accuses me of being "brainwashed" and burying my head in the sand. He finds ways to shoehorn this crap into otherwise routine conversations, though he will admit that he knows I don't believe him.

I'm seriously frustrated at this point. I actually lost a good friend years ago to this shit because she just would not give it up or at the very least keep it to herself.

Sometimes I fantasize about leaving my husband but I cannot bring myself to do that. To tear down the good life we have otherwise built for all three of us. Our 15 year relationship has by and large been so good aside from all this crap. My husband comes from three generations of divorced parents, and he and I have staunchly agreed that we do not want a broken home for our daughter (3yo).

He is stressed at work and starving for friendship (used to have a close circle of friends, but they've all kind of gone different paths). He is tired, hurting, and lonely, and I know that's a big part of why he's been so vulnerable to this. I try to be there for him, but I'm only one person and frankly when he's sitting there glued to his phone binging stupid shit, I really don't even want to be near him.

What gives me hope is that he still gives our daughter and I affection. Tells us he loves us. Suggests fun things for us to go do as a family. Does silly things that make us laugh. The man I fell in love with is still there, he's still alive. He's just sick, needs help. And I don't know how to help him. I just want all this shit out of our lives because frankly when I envision my future, conspiracy bullshit has no place there.

I could go on and on but I think I'll stop here. Thank you to everyone who's read this far. While I'm close with my parents, I really don't have any good friends at this stage of my life either so nowhere else to really dump all this.

Tldr; husband's increasing conspiracy beliefs are pushing me away.

My sisters has gone through alot of things in the past 5 years and I'm not sure whether those things have affected her to the point that now she has body dysmorphia and wants to now get a nose job.

We have many arguments regarding this, and honestly it isnt the nose job that's bothering me, it's the weight. Her BMI is 14 and she is skinny af my arms are bigger than her legs. What if her recovery doesnt go smoothly?

I've been having thoughts lately just to cut her out of my life as I can't keep caring and worrying about someone who doesnt seem to care how her actions affect others. I've failed as a brother as she says who she is now is because of me?

She brings up the fact that I've done stupid things then she can do stupid things? Then how about the good things I've done why cant she emulate that too?

She will always justify her actions as because someone else can do it so why cant she.

If she was sane and had her shit together than this nose job wouldnt have seemed so bad, but we dont think she is of the right mind, as evident with her weight.

Right now my parents have just accepted who she is and asked her to delay her surgery to allow them to be there a day after the surgery so that they can take care of her. I can't take care of her as I explode everytime this subject comes up. She promised to delay but it turns out she hasnt and surgery is on in about two day instead of the next week.

We think the doctors are of course pushing her to get alot of stuff done as they are salesman more than doctors.

I tried bringing her to therapy and with some form of accountability act Ill go to as I do have my own issues but after the first session she doesnt want to do therapy in general.

Tldr Sister has body dysmorphia and wants to get a nose job, whole family in panic, I'm in acceptance and want to cut her off. Is this the right move?

My boyfriend [22M] and I [24F] have been dating long-distance for 1 year and 10 months. He works in healthcare and overall has good intentions, but he has a tendency to lean heavily into clinical detachment and "logic" whenever emotional or physical crises happen

A few nights ago, I was dealing with severe physical agony (I would’ve rated my pain a 8/10 cramps, chills, nausea, and over 24 hours of total insomnia). The period cramps I experienced was the worst pain I’ve experienced compared to my usual cramps, which is why it concerned and scared me a bit. Sure.. it wasn’t to the point where I had to go to the ER, but it really felt like a stabbing kind of pain on my sides and I had really heavy flow even on my 4th day which is not normal for me. I figured it wasn’t due to a lot of stress I’ve had this month. I explained all this to him that I was terrified to go to sleep because waking up into that level of pain felt traumatic. Instead of comforting me, his immediate response was that my fear was "extreme" and irrational

When I expressed that his reaction hurt me, he shut down, told me "I'll just stop talking then," and insisted that I apologize for my "attitude" before he would keep talking to me. Exhausted and in peak physical misery at 3 AM, I gave in and apologized just to de-escalate the tension so I could try to sleep

To his credit, after I comforted him and smoothed things over, he had a genuine breakthrough around 4 AM. He admitted he shouldn't have tried to "make sense" of my pain when even I couldn't make sense of it, apologized multiple times, and poured out affection, saying things like "you're always my baby," that he missed me, and that he just wanted me to be okay

I sent a short goodnight text and went to sleep. But since then, it has been over two full days of complete silence from him. He has not checked in once to ask how my health or body is doing, despite being active on social media and viewing my stories. It feels like as soon as his late-night emotional wave passed and I didn't fawn over his apologies the next morning, his pride took over again and he retreated right back into waiting me out

I know he has self-awareness and can recognize when he's wrong, but it feels like his ego always has to be satisfied first before he can offer empathy, and then his pride makes him disappear. How do I address this recurring dynamic, and can this realistically improve?

TL;DR: My [24F] boyfriend [22M] minimized my severe pain as "extreme" and demanded an apology for my attitude. After I apologized, he had a 4 AM breakthrough, apologized profusely, and called me his baby. But now he has gone radio silent for two days because I didn't fawn over his texts. How do I navigate this? Any advice?

I’ve (24F) been seeing this guy for a couple of months, we aren’t together and decided on a friends with benefits situation as neither of us want to get into a relationship just yet.

We’ve recently been acting a little more than friends with benefits, and have both felt like we’ve gotten ourselves into a bit of a situation as we hang out multiple times a week, have sleep overs, go out together and he’s introduced me to his friends and recently invited me to come camping with them too.

This guy is really fun, and we connect really well. Our communication is great and he is always down to talk about anything. I’m also laughing all the time with him which is something I love.

He says that we’re compatible and that he loves spending time with me but he doesn’t want a relationship because he is afraid of heart break. I never really understood this until last night.

His ex girlfriend is friends with his current housemate, who I’ve seen over the past few months that I’ve been there. The ex and the housemate both went out last night and around 2am came back to the apartment. *I should also mention that he’s said that she’s a part of a friend group that he hangs with sometimes so I was under the impression that he ended things, they remained friends*

We woke up at the noise and he was visibly annoyed, when I asked why he said that his housemate knows that the ex is not allowed at the apartment anymore because of an altercation they had a couple of months ago.

This is where it got crazy to me. He shared that they only stopped sleeping together a couple months ago, despite the relationship ending two years ago…

He said that although she’s a lovely person, that when she gets drunk she verbally tears him down and says how bad of a boyfriend he was and gets jealous of him seeing other people. He set the boundary of her not being allowed at the apartment anymore because it’s not fair to either of them. He expressed to me that he was annoyed at them both because they were being “careless” and I personally found it a bit disrespectful to go against his wishes but I stayed out of it. I tried to justify why they would go back to his, maybe her apartment is further away or they didn’t know in would be there, but he says it shouldn’t of happened anyway because she’s not allowed to come over.

I asked if he thinks that she’s still into him, and he said yes.

After that, we went back to sleep. We end up not having morning sex, which we were planning to do, because she was in the next room. And I left quite early so I avoided running into her, it was also of the preference of the guy that I don’t meet her.

I really like this guy, but hearing that there’s so much drama involved around his ex who he’s still in contact with, I don’t really know what to think - even on a FWB/casual hook up level. Jealous ex’s are just another ball park entirely and I don’t really want to compete/be put in that situation again.

What is the best way to communicate this to him without sounding like I’m making his past relationships all about me? Especially considering we’re only friends with benefits?

TDLR: Things are escalating with a guy I’m FWB with. Was in his apartment when the ex girlfriend and housemate/friend got home, apparently she gets really jealous and takes it out on my FWB. How do I discuss the situation with him and express my uncomfortability with her disrespect toward him? Do I say anything?

I've been dating my partner for about five months now and tonight was the second time I have noticed some strange behaviour in her when she drinks a lot.

For context she is lovely and super attentive, with a bubbly personality. Tonight we were at a music event with some friends, but I decided to leave after her actions and words.

What happened was that she got really rude towards me and hit me slightly which when it happened the first time I thought was playful, but the force was questionable for something like that.

She said things like 'why are you touching me' when I tried to reassure her with a hug, 'you are so avoidant', and 'you are a liar' but switch tones like it were a joke and then say it seriously.

I went home alone after as I thought she was mad at me and wanted to give her space, and waited for her to get home so we could chat.

When she finally got back she told me she didn't remember saying those things and apologised before falling asleep.

Right now I'm really confused since I've never really experienced such a sharp shift in personality in someone when they drank and them not remember.

I've been reading some resources online, but it leans more towards alcoholism or vaguely stating that it changes people's inhibitions.

Does she mean what she says? Should I ask our friends if they've noticed the change in her behaviour and get her to drink more responsibly?

TL;DR My partner seems to have a personality shift when drunk and becomes really mean to me, how do I approach this?

So, some basic contextual information to start. My boyfriend and I are both gay males, been together for a little over 1.5 yrs, and this is the first time I've been in a serious, long-term relationship. This is also the longest he's been in a relationship.

We met in Feb 2025 through Grindr, took things slow and actually had a pretty nice time getting to know eachother before going exclusive. We went exclusive in May 2025 & said ILY for the first time in Sept 25.

October 2025 began what is, without a doubt, the worst chapter of my boyfriend's life. I'll lay out some of the biggest items he has been dealing with:

• In Oct 2025, A prominent and well-liked co-worker passed away suddenly, causing his fall to be very stressful and sad. He had to take on additional responsibilities and lost his Friday evenings for a few months.
• In Dec 2025, his best friend passed away by suicide. They'd known eachother for almost 15 years. This was the most important person in his life, described as "platonic soul mates", "life partners", etc. At one point, they were as close as two people could be without being related or in a relationship. They weren't as close when the friend passed away (due to living in different cities), which has exacerbated bf's grief.
• Also in Dec 2025, during the week of Christmas, my bf fell very ill. He attended his friend's funeral across the country, over worked and griefed himself, and came back completely broken. He has severe asthma, allergies and gastrointestinal issues, and the stress from everything was too much. He spent a week in and out of the ER, culminating in a 5 day, pain filled stay. This was our first Christmas together as a couple.
• His mother is also sick. She's been unwell for the last three years, and has had several stays in the hospital since I've known him. This hangs over everything else that has been happening.
• Finally, he's dealing with severe burnout at work. Grief, over-work, poor management, inter-personal conflicts, and a crumbling industry. He has a really hard disengaging from work and often spends most of his evening upset about things that happened that day or stressed about the next day.

All of this has resulted in a very, very difficult year. Neither of us has ever dealt with anything on this level before, and one thing after another has left him a shell of himself. He's miserable all the time. He mentions "understanding" his friend's motivations more and more often. It's hard to go out and do fun things because he mostly just sleeps outside of work hours.

To be clear, he is TRYING. He's in therapy. We actively communicate about how we're feeling. He's so sweet to me, buys me gifts and pays compliments as much as possible, and apologizes all the time about what is happening. He even recommended a new job for me to apply for when I was burnt out in my old position and helped get me out of a bad work situation. But he's not okay, and its getting worse. I'm worried about what will happen in December for the anniversary of his friend's death.

[Disclaimer: I'm not currently worried about his safety. We have very frank conversations about this and I have a good pulse on where he's at. I also have experience working with individuals struggling with SH/SI, so I know the signs. If I suspect anything I'll take immediate action, but currently no plans to do.]

I'm also struggling to be honest. Most nights he comes home, vents about his day for basically as long as I let him. It will literally go until bedtime unless I actively ask him to change the topic. Usually the subject is work, but it often bleeds into all the other topics and I feel bad cutting him off for talking about very real trauma and pain. I can't stress enough that it is just stream of conciousness, repeating the same things over and over for as long as I let him go on. I usually let him vent for about an hour or two and try to make it more of a conversation, but the repetiveness has been a pain point. This is something he tries not to do. He's aware of it but can't seem to stop himself. He also struggles with emotional regulation in general, especially lately.

He's told me several times that he only reason he hasn't quit his job and moved to another city (there are alot of memories here with his friend) is because of our relationship. That the only thing good in his life right now is us. But the fact that I'm keeping him here is putting pressure on the relationship from both sides. I've given him an "out" if he feels that he needs to take some time for himself to heal, but that's been a really hard topic of conversation for me to bring up.

To make things wierder, I'M in a great place personally right now. I'm loving my new job (that he helped me get), my friend circle and DND group have been awesome lately, I'm reconnecting with my artwork, loving myself and my hair lately, etc, etc. Like, a ridiculous amount of positive vibes. The tonal shift from my own personal bubble to when he gets home is jarring, I think for both of us. I feel bad being so generally happy when my partner is so miserable. All of this is pretty recent.

To be fair, this is also just part of who we are as a couple. Kind of a golden retriever/black cat situation. And part of the reason I'm so happy is because I love being with him. I've been sort of lonely for most of my life and he makes me feel seen and loved in ways that I can't express. But we're in such different places that it's hard to find common emotional ground.

Is there some sort of action I can take? Or just trust the healing process? Therapy isn't working super well for him, and I feel like he's heading towards some sort of emotional/mental breakdown. That may be what just needs to happen, but I don't want to leave him suffering if there's something more I can do to help.

I'm also struggling, feeling frozen like there are no good options right now. We didn't get to make alot of happy memories as a couple before all this happened. We've really tried to fix that this year, and been somewhat successful, but there's been a cloud over everything. Most of our major relationship milestones have involved some sort of negative event. That's not important in the face of everything that's happened, but I don't feel like we're living a full life right now.

I won't give up on him, but I don't know what to do. What would you do in this situation? Any advice will be appreciated, thank you in advance.

tl;dr: My boyfriend is having the worst year of his life and I don't know how to best support him. I'm struggling too.

TLDR: I’m 27F, and I’ve been in a relationship with my 30-year-old boyfriend for three years.

My boyfriend lost his father during childhood and has taken on the responsibility of supporting his mother and younger brother. His brother, who is just a year younger, lacks direction, frequently changes jobs, and has dropped out of college twice despite the family’s efforts to support his education.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, works hard to provide his family with a comfortable lifestyle. He manages most of their expenses, has bought appliances like a dishwasher to make his mother’s life easier, and recently hired a maid to reduce her workload. Yet, his mother still complains about things, such as the AC not cooling enough.

She also makes hurtful comments about him buying expensive gadgets for himself while buying less expensive things for her, and sometimes questions whether he will take care of her in the future. When he expresses his hurt, she says he is counting everything he has done for her. Meanwhile, his younger brother contributes nothing, yet continues to receive her support.

What worries me further is that my boyfriend has been laid off three times despite performing well at work. Even then, his mother doesn't seem concerned enough about their financial situation and continues to expect a lavish lifestyle, without understanding the need to live within their means as a middle-class family.

I feel my boyfriend has become her only dependable source of support, especially since his brother isn't taking responsibility for his own life.

I feel sad seeing my boyfriend's efforts go unappreciated. I don't think his mother is a bad person, but some of her behaviour feels emotionally unhealthy. My boyfriend understands my concerns, but he loves his mother deeply, and I don't want to interfere in their relationship.

Having grown up in a dysfunctional family myself, I'm worried about how these dynamics might affect our future, especially if we get married.

Am I right to be concerned? How can I support my boyfriend, and what should I consider before taking this relationship towards marriage?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar and any advice you could offer.

​

My girlfriend (24F) has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and I (24M) struggle with anxious attachment. We've been in a long-distance relationship for five months. We haven't met in person yet, but we're planning to meet. We also haven't had a voice or video call yet, although she has suggested it several times. I've been avoiding it because I'm insecure and afraid she might not find me attractive in real life.

I care about her a lot, but lately, I've been feeling anxious and confused about our relationship. I was cheated on in a previous relationship, and I think that experience has made me afraid of being hurt again. Sometimes, I can't tell whether my concerns are based on real changes in our relationship or whether my anxiety is making me overthink everything.

1. Changes in communication

At the beginning of our relationship, she used to send me lots of TikToks and reels, ask about my day, and reply very quickly. She seemed more excited to talk to me. Recently, she sends me fewer reels, and sometimes our conversations feel less engaging. She might be active on TikTok but take several minutes to reply to me, or leave reels I've sent her unanswered for hours.

I understand that people get busy and that the excitement at the beginning of a relationship can naturally change. I'm also aware that I may be paying too much attention to her response times because of my anxious attachment. Still, I sometimes worry that her feelings have changed, and I don't know how to handle these thoughts without overthinking.

2. Our arguments and Thursday nights

We have small arguments quite often. Sometimes, she gets upset and blocks me, and I usually end up being the one who reaches out and tries to fix things. She often unblocks me the following day or a day later.

Something else I've noticed is that on many Thursday nights, she tells me during the day that we should stay up together and spend time with each other. However, when nighttime comes, we sometimes argue over something small, and she gets upset.

Last Thursday, something different happened. She asked me to stay up with her, but later she suddenly said she was sleepy and went to bed. This was unusual because she normally stays up late, even when she's tired. The next morning, she told me she had fallen asleep because she was tired.

I realize that this could have a simple explanation, but I sometimes find myself analyzing these situations and worrying about things I cannot know for sure.

3. Trust, jealousy, and social media

She has expressed jealousy before and has sometimes worried that I'm talking to other girls. She checks my friends and followers, and she has accused me of potentially being unfaithful. I've tried to respect her feelings and maintain trust between us.

She uses Facebook normally, and I don't feel that she's hiding her identity from me there. However, she has only added me to smaller, more private Instagram and TikTok accounts, explaining that she doesn't want her family, including her mother, to see me among her followers. She also hasn't given me her personal phone number.

I understand that people have different boundaries with their privacy and families, so I don't want to jump to conclusions. However, because we're long-distance and haven't met in person yet, sometimes I feel uncertain about how to build more trust and security in the relationship.

4. My anxious attachment and fear of losing her

I think my anxious attachment is a major part of this situation. I can spend too much time analyzing small changes in her behavior, how quickly she replies, and whether she seems as interested as she used to be.

My previous relationship ended painfully because my ex was talking to someone else and got back together with him shortly after we broke up. Now, when I notice even small changes, I sometimes fear the same thing is happening again.

I'm also very attracted to my current girlfriend, and I think my fear of losing her makes me even more attached. I don't want to become controlling, constantly seek reassurance, or let my anxiety damage the relationship.

I know BPD can affect relationships differently for different people, but I don't want to assume that every change in her behavior is caused by her BPD.

5. What I want to improve

I want to become more emotionally secure, stop overanalyzing every small detail, and learn how to communicate my needs calmly. I also want us to develop healthier ways of handling disagreements instead of blocking each other.

Since we haven't met in person or had a voice or video call yet, I know that taking those steps is important for developing a more realistic and secure relationship. She has suggested calls and meeting several times, but my insecurity has held me back. I want to work on that rather than keep avoiding it.

I'm looking for practical strategies to manage my anxious attachment, communicate my needs without putting pressure on my girlfriend, and build a healthier relationship while we're still long-distance.

What specific steps can I take when I start overthinking her response times or worrying about changes in communication? How can we establish healthier ways to handle disagreements, especially when blocking happens?

I'd appreciate advice based on personal experience or relationship psychology rather than speculation about whether she's cheating.

TL;DR: My girlfriend has BPD, and I struggle with anxious attachment due partly to being cheated on in a previous relationship. We've been long-distance for five months and are planning to meet, but we haven't met in person or had a voice or video call yet. I've noticed some changes in communication and struggle with our pattern of arguments and blocking. I want to manage my anxiety, communicate better, and build a healthier relationship. What practical strategies can help?

​

I 35m, my partner 35f have been together for just under 20 years.

We have two sons 8 & 4 and the youngest is autistic and nonverbal. Both our parents are not in the best shape health wise so they cant give us a break by having the kids for a few hours. We dont have anyone else to have them as the youngest can be difficult and we dont trust anyone to care for him as he cant be left alone even for a few minutes so we dont get any time together. By the time the kids go to sleep we are both exhausted and end up going to sleep.

There is no intimacy anymore and i feel like she cringes even if i put my hand on her and she says I just want sex which is not the case, I think I just need her reassurance..?

I feel like we both dont feel like we can come to each other anymore. I struggle with communication and she struggles with her mental health.

She seems angry, frustrated, sad most of the time. I probably do too, i think we're both just running on survival mode. We pour everything we have into the kids and I think we do a good job considering the circumstances and both the kids seem happy but there seems to be nothing else left to give to each other at the end of the day.

I work full time, she does a few hours on the weekend in a retail store so she can have a break from the kids. Financially we're just getting by, paying the mortgage, other bills, food. At the end of the month there is a few hundred left which I put aside for birthdays/Christmas/car maintenance or weekend getaways where we take it in turns to take the oldest somewhere for a break. Again not together.

I have a group of friends I have been friends with since Junior school and we try to go out for food once a month. I do consider them close friends but im the type of person who is content with my own company so I dont really think about it much if I dont see them for prolonged periods and with family life atm im finding it more difficult to keep in touch or even find time for myself.

In the last few years she has fallen out with most of her close friends. They dont invite her to anything anymore and when she sees them doing something on social media she gets really upset. She feels isolated, and she has told me she doesn't feel like she can talk to me anymore. Truth is I feel like whatever I say she takes it the wrong way and I think it's just become a vicious circle where she gets frustrated at me for not communicating and me feeling like whatever I say is wrong.

I dont want to lose her, I have loved her since I was 16, there has never been anyone else. I just dont know how much longer we can keep going like we are. I dont want our kids to think the way me and my partner are with eachother is normal for a couple. It feels like we are just room mates who have the same children but are not actually in a relationship which kills me.

Sometimes I wish we could go back to before we had kids or even to just before we had the youngest which obviously results in me feeling tremendous guilt.

Any guidance/help would be appreciated.TL;DR;

People who grew up in families who didn't travel much and married into families that travel quite a bit, how did adjust and learn to blend in better

I (35F) grew up not traveling much due to my dad dealing with job loss. Later, my dad did get a high paying job, but he and my mom chose to prioritize saving for college for their kids.

I'm engaged and my fiance (M33) comes from a family (mainly mom, stepdad, siblings) that travels quite a bit. It has been a bit intimidating, as they are much more cultured and better traveled than me. I've dealt with some unpleasant interactions due to me not being as knowledgeable as them on certain areas and places.

We are traveling to Spain and France next summer with them. A part of me is dreading the trip because I know I will just end up coming off as less cultured than them.

Looking for advice and tips from people who come from similar experiences/backgrounds

TL;DR advice on dealing with future in-law who are well traveled.

so my bf and i (20f, 19m) have been together since we were 14, almost 5 years. i love my boyfriend and can see a future with him but im scared i wasted my youth tied down to him. we’re medium distance (i go to school about 3 hours away from our home town) but he visits often and when hes here everything is perfect and i only have my eyes on him. but when hes gone he gets over protective and is really dry with me when i go out or do something with friends. it makes me start to resent the small things and i dont want to find reasons to not like him anymore but im feeling bored and trapped. i feel like talking it out would create an awkward tension but idk what to do and i dont want to cheat on him because i have definitely been tempted the last few months.
**TL;DR; did i mess up staying with him all throughout hs? what do i do? do i stick it out?**.

TL;DR: Told a guy he's become an important part of my daily life, then told him I don't know him, and he got hurt. I just feel like knowing someone's routine isn't the same as knowing their core, especially when neither of us has shown the vulnerable parts we hide from everyone else. Am I overthinking this?

Here ... am the girl '19 F' ,the guy is '25 M' ,Okay so there's this guy I talk to literally 24/7 nowadays. We used to know each other from my district court internship, lost touch for like 4–5 months, and somehow reconnected. And now we talk A LOT.

So here's the funny part.

One morning, during a normal conversation, I told him that, to be very honest, he's become a pretty important part of my life lately. Like, he's literally part of my daily routine now.

And I meant it. I'm not someone who says things like that just for the sake of saying them.

But later that same evening, we were having another conversation, and somehow the topic of knowing each other came up. I told him that he only knows me as much as I've told him about myself. He mentioned how we'd spent around 12 hours together, then asked me if I knew him.

I said no.

And BRO, he was genuinely affected by that. Like, it actually hurt him.

And I've been thinking about this ever since because I can understand why that sounded contradictory. How can someone be an important part of your life in the morning, and by evening you're telling them they don't even know you?

But here's what I actually meant.

I think there's a difference between being an important part of someone's life and actually knowing who that person is underneath everything.

He knows my habits, my routine, my random thoughts, probably a hundred little things about me. We talk constantly. But he hasn't seen my scars, my insecurities, my past, my traumas, or the vulnerable parts of me that I hide from literally EVERYONE. Not just him. My friends, my family, everyone gets a version of me that I'm comfortable letting them see.

And I'm aware that I do the same thing with other people. I can talk to someone for hours, know their schedule, hear their stories, and still not know what goes on inside their head when they're alone with themselves.

Because let's be real, everyone knows how to act. Some of us are just better at it than others. And I'm probably the biggest example of that.

For me, knowing someone means knowing the parts they don't casually talk about. The things they're scared to admit, the things that shaped them, the sides they don't know how to show people. And I don't think I've ever let anyone see those parts of me.

So maybe when I said I didn't know him, I was measuring our connection by a standard that nobody could realistically meet unless I was willing to let them in, too.

And that's where I'm confused.

Because I genuinely meant it when I said he's become important to me. His presence is a part of my everyday life now. But does that automatically mean we know each other deeply? I don't think so.

Maybe he heard "you don't know me" as "you don't matter enough to know me."

When what I actually meant was, "There's so much of me that you haven't seen, and there's so much of you that I haven't seen either."

And maybe the real question isn't whether someone knows us completely, but whether we're willing to let them know us beyond the version we've perfected for everyone else.

Idk. Maybe I'm overthinking a conversation that lasted five minutes, but the fact that he was so hurt by those words has genuinely made me think about what knowing someone actually means.

Can someone be an important part of your life without truly knowing you? Or am I just confusing emotional vulnerability with being known?

I F38 have zero friends and last year I became online friends with this woman F47. We've been friends for more than a year now and at first everything was great, we sent post cards and gifts to each other, would talk on the phone, we both have mental health issues so we would call each other and just vent. She was always asking me if I was going to leave and I reassured her I wasn't.

She has an inner world that she allowed me into. That really bonded us and it would be the main topic everyday. Then, after january 2026 a lot of things happened to both of us and we changed but my love for her remains the same. I stood by her side listening to her crying audios, she did the same for me, we went through hell together. But there was her inner world, we would always come back to it.

Around the summer I developed other interests and I would try to add them into the conversation, she would either not acknowledge it or just briefly mention it and change the subject to the her world. I told her this was bothering me and she said I could talk to her about whatever I wanted. I kept trying and the same thing was happening so I gave up. Having more interests I drifted away from the 'topic' that bonded us and have also been going through a lot in the last few months, including a mental health crisis. I was confiding a lot to her thinking I could because she was my best friend, she was doing the same with the situation she was going through and I never complained.

Recently I got a boyfriend and because I am autistic I was struggling to read his signs, so I would talk to her a lot about it, basically asking for help. She got cold, no longer seemed interested when she talked to me. Today we had a serious conversation and she said I changed, that I no longer talk about the 'topic', that it's very importnt to her, that it's only been me talking about my boyfriend, she even mentioned the fact that I wouldn't stop talking about a very distressing housing situation months ago and all my other issues as if it was a burden.

That really hurt became all this time I have been listening to the saga she has been involved in. She seemed really bothered I had a boyfriend, even though I never stopped talking to her but she wouldn't admit it. I took a break from the relationship and came back to my apartment and she immediately changed. She was talking to me again, about her inner world only, all the time and tonight, since I was home for the first time with no boyfriend she said she was going to wish me good night and that she had missed doing that. We have talked every night even though I was at my boyfriend's so there was no reason for her to not wish me good night.

I did talk to her through the rest of the evening but it was about her, her inner world, never about me. I feel like when my life was empty and I would validate her inner world and not say much about myself it was fine, as soon as I got other interests and wasn't talking about her and her world all the time and then I really started struggling mentally she went cold. Then I got a boyfriend and she reacted like this.

She said she wants things to go back to how they were earlier in the friendship, meaning talk about her inner world, that she really misses it, that she wants things to be lighthearted again now that she's getting better even though I am going through hell. And then she sent me political stuff which I have been avoiding.

Today I just went along with the conversation but felt deeply unhappy. It's breaking my heart.

TLDR: Best friend only wants to talk about her inner world and gives me no room in the friendship and then blames me for struggling mentally and having other interests and want to talk about other things.

So me M21 and my gf F20 have been together for 4 years, we are going thru something right now that I hate and it’s my fault.
About a year ago she found out I was watching adult sites, and when she found out, i lied to her about it over and over. It really upset her, she sees it as if I cheated on her because I’m getting off to other women, and I don’t blame her at all for thinking of it that way but i also lied. After it happened we almost completely broke up. It hurt her in an unimaginable way and it hurt me to see her like that. I told her that I promise I would never do it again and that I would never lie about anything. She gave me a chance and I was so good about it, I took advantage of the chance she gave me I was reassuring her everyday telling her I would never hurt her again, and it all went well I rebuilt her trust. Fast forward to now, about 2 weeks ago I did it again, knowing the cost of my actions, I still did it. She found out. I know in my heart that I don’t deserve her, she is everything a man could ask for. But I need to show her that I can take full accountability. If i really want to prove to her that I can change it needs to be something other than just words, I need to take action. This may be a pathetic question to ask. But what should I do? I know I will never do it again, and all I want to do is spend the rest of my life with her, have kids, get a house, have a family with her. I need to find a way to prove to her that after time and I know it’ll take awhile, that she can trust me and never have to think i’m doing something behind her back.

TL;DR Short summary: What can I do to rebuild the trust (other than just words) that she does not have for me anything after I watched adult sites a second time after I told her i’d never do it again after the first time. I want this woman so bad, to have kids, to marry have, to spend the rest of my life with her.

Any suggestion is helpful whether it’s hate, advice, or anything. I’m desperate for this girl. Can I win her back? Yes or no

I'm 20F, and I have a really close male friend. We share everything, understand each other well, and he gives me time and priority. I always thought of us as just friends.

Recently, an old school friend asked me out for a date, and although I wasn't interested romantically, I went out with him. When I told my close friend, he became possessive, and we had a fight over it.

The thing is, I don't see a romantic future with my close friend. So, am I wrong for talking to or spending time with other guys just because I'm currently close to him?

We're not dating, and I'm sure we won't end up together because I see him as a friend and nothing more.

I'd appreciate some honest opinions.

TL;DR: I'm close to a male friend but see him only as a friend. He became possessive when I went out with another guy. Am I wrong for talking to other guys when we're not dating? Also is it wrong if I went to meet my school friend as friends even though he has an intention to date me, if i say yes?

I'm 29. I was in an 8-year relationship that started in Class 8. After it ended, I stayed single for 4 years, trying to heal and move on.
Recently, I finally gave myself another chance at love, hoping things would be different. But this time, the experience has been even more painful than my previous relationship.
I haven't been sleeping properly. I cry almost every night, question my worth, and wonder what I did wrong. I've always tried to be kind to people and never intentionally hurt anyone. I genuinely wished good things for everyone, yet somehow, when it came to my own happiness, things fell apart again.
I've prayed to God, cried, and begged for peace, but nothing seems to change. Sometimes, I feel like everyone who hurt me has their God looking after them, protecting them and helping them move forward. But what about my God? Where is my God when I'm crying all night, begging for a little peace? Why does it feel like everyone has someone looking out for them except me?
I'm tired of pretending to be okay. I'm losing faith in love, God, and even myself. I don't want to feel this way anymore. I just want to understand why something I approached with a genuine heart has left me feeling so broken. TL;DR;

I’ve been seeing my girlfriend for about 5 months, and we’ve been officially dating exclusively for 2 months.
When we became official, she voluntarily told me she deleted her Facebook Dating profile. She actually mentioned deleting it twice without me ever asking her to.
Yesterday, she was showing me something on her phone, and while swiping through her recently opened apps, I noticed Facebook Dating was one of them.
I asked her about it because I thought we were both done with dating apps. She explained that some random guy had contacted her through Snapchat or text, and she didn’t recognize him, so she went back onto Facebook Dating to see if he was someone she’d previously matched with.
What bothers me is that her profile apparently wasn’t deleted, just paused. I also don’t understand why she’d feel the need to look up someone from a dating app when we’re in an exclusive relationship.
When I expressed that I wasn’t comfortable with it, she seemed annoyed and responded, “What, I can’t have conversations with other guys?”
I have absolutely no issue with her having male friends, coworkers, or normal conversations with men. My concern is maintaining connections with men she potentially met through dating apps, where there was likely some romantic interest.
Here’s another part that bothers me. Recently, she saw a Facebook notification on my phone and thought I was still using Facebook Dating. She became extremely upset and started crying. I immediately reassured her and showed her that my dating profile was deleted and that the notification didn’t mean I was using it.
Now that the situation is reversed, I feel like my concerns are being dismissed.
I’ve been genuine with her from the beginning, and I really care about her. I don’t want to throw away a relationship over a misunderstanding, but I also don’t want to compromise my boundaries because I’m afraid of losing someone.
I haven’t accused her of cheating, and I don’t know whether she actually continued talking to this guy. I’m just trying to understand whether my concerns are reasonable.
How would you handle this situation? Would you consider a paused dating profile and contact with previous dating-app matches a boundary issue? And how would you approach the apparent double standard without making things worse?

TL;DR: My girlfriend (38F) voluntarily told me (26M) twice that she deleted Facebook Dating, but I recently discovered her profile was only paused and she’d accessed it to identify a guy who contacted her. When I expressed discomfort, she got annoyed. Meanwhile, she previously cried when she mistakenly thought I was using Facebook Dating, even though my account was deleted. I’m concerned about honesty, boundaries, and what feels like a double standard. Am I overreacting, or are my concerns reasonable?

Mo'men and I started talking on Snapchat a year ago, and we chatted for a few days. We got used to each other incredibly quickly. sharing our secrets. I'd already imagined my future with him, but then he suddenly ghosted me for no reason. He tried to talk again once or twice after that. He'd reply to my streaks, but I'd just react to his messages without replying, just to let him know I was upset. Anyway, we stopped talking completely (even now I feel like it would have been better if I'd asked him then). So we stopped talking for months, and we were still friends on Snapchat and Instagram; we just looked at each other's stories. A month ago, he replied to my story, and I replied. We talked without discussing what had happened before or blaming each other. I was actually happy. After several days, we agreed to meet. He is from the same governorate as me, but the distance between us was a little far, an hour or less, but he studies in another, distant city. So we agreed to meet after he comes home. When we agreed on the time and day, he told me, "If I don't call you early, it's because I'm asleep, so call me and wake me up." And that's exactly what happened. I got my clothes ready and waited for him. He didn't call or send any message, so I called him several times, but he didn't answer. I sent him a message, and then he replied an hour later: "Sorry, I just woke up." I was a little annoyed, but I thought he would just ask us to go out; an hour's delay wouldn't matter. But he didn't. He tried to avoid the topic and talk about something else. Of course, I was upset and spoke to him coldly. Two days passed and we didn't speak. Then he sent me another message (Let's meet tomorrow 4 PM?). I was free, but I told him I wasn't because I was still upset with him. Then a few more days passed and I found him calling me. I answered, and then he asked me what was wrong and why I was upset. I told him I wasn't upset, and he said, "You are. I can tell from your voice." Then we both argued, and I told him, "You're not interested in meeting me and going on a date If you were, you would have done anything to go out." But he apologized again and said, "How could I not want to meet you? I've been the one who asking you hundreds times to meet up." (This is true. Ever since we started talking again, he's been asking to meet up, and I've been making excuses to wait. I don't know why; I was just nervous.) Anyway, we made up and started talking again for two days, then suddenly he ghosted me and didn't reply to my last message. It's been two weeks now! And that's all. I don't know why he's doing this. I don't know if he likes me or not. I thought I was over it, but I'm not. I dream about him so much, and when I wake up, I feel like I wanna cry so hard. Mo'men was the person who understood me best in my life. I've never met anyone kinder or sweeter. I feel like I'm myself when I'm with him.. I'm not sure if what I feel for him is just admiration or love, but what I want is to stop dreaming about him. It hurts me.

Tl; DR

TLDR: I am worried about my on and off bf's wellbeing as he never ghosts.

I m worried about his wellbeing. He told me his family takes away his electronics. Last week we had a horrible fight, the worst ever. we both said really awful things to eachother. we were then okay, playing games and decided on a break so playing games and having fun but... last night... i asked him if he fulfilled his promise.... he didnt. i was angry he always broke it for 6 months continously but he was visiting his parents and i broke up with him and blocked him on whatsapp. I emailed him, whenever we fight we email eachother ... i asked him if he is ok and he hasnt responded. His family knows we have been fighting for months.

I try not to cry or tell my family anything but he cries a lot and he told me his family blames me despite having context its natural for them to be bias and so the last week fight was really bad. really really bad. i exploded. he said hurtful things i said it back. i didnt want to disturb my neighbours so he would talk on call and i would text... when i look back. it looks so horrible. I m scared what if his parents are angry with him. He never ghosts me. But... i scared. i would rather we never talk then me being left worried if he is okay or not.

We have been fighting for months about his emotional cheating and broken promises. We had quite a on and off relationship. This is not like him.

Hello,

I (a man) am currently in long distance relationship with a guy I met in middle of august.

We clicked instantly and sparks were flying from day one.

He was traveling and ended up staying at my place for several weeks, before going back to the other side of the world.

We did establish that we wanted to pursue this, and did land on having an open relationship.

I do not have experience with this at all, and have had some jealousy related issues in previous relationships

(something I was very candid about and we found tools to manage that).

During his stay we were only monogamous with each other, so having it open

is only due to logistics. For context: a flight to his country would take 20+ hours.

He has a lot of experience with this from his previous relationship, but I have not.

We did settle on a "don't ask, don't tell" policy which seemed appropriate.

I did start to read "ethical s**t" to gain a more understanding of the possibilties of an open relationship

and it has helped a lot to gain a new perspective. I think I can more clearly now see the distinction between love and sex.

Although I am curious to have sex with someone that isn't my boyfriend (whom I do love) I am

insecure how I would feel both during and after the hookup. I do try to convince

myself that "you are having the cake and eating it too", but sometimes that idiom doesn't

work for encouragement.

I'm very curious to hear about people that was introduced to this in a similiar way,

but of course want to hear all opinions, experiences and tips!

How did you manage this inner journey? And did you have any insecurities

that you were able to silence?

TL;DR

Tips on open relationship?

I’ve recently started dating someone (we’ve been together for a few months), and honestly, it’s been one of the healthiest relationships I’ve had. He’s kind, respectful, generous, affectionate, and from everything I’ve seen, very loyal.

We have an amazing connection, and he recently asked me to be his girlfriend, which I was so happy to say yes to.

Recently, the topic of porn came up. He’s very open about it and doesn’t really see anything wrong with it. In fact, he even suggested that we could watch it together sometime.

This is where I’m a little conflicted.
I’ve watched porn before, so I’m not against it in the sense that I think it’s morally wrong. But I’ve never really been someone who watches it with a partner, and if I’m being honest, the idea of my partner getting off to other women makes me feel a bit insecure. I’m not even sure why, because in previous relationships my ex also watched porn and I never really gave it much thought.

I’m trying to understand where these feelings are coming from and whether they’re something I should work through, or whether it’s okay to see porn as something that doesn’t align with what I want in a relationship.
I also haven’t brought this up with him because it’s still early days, and I don’t want to come across as controlling or insecure. At the same time, I don’t want to ignore my feelings either.
I’d genuinely love to hear different perspectives. If you’re in a relationship:
Are you okay with porn, or is it a boundary for you?
Do you watch it together with your partner?
Do you think it’s harmless, or do you think it can be disrespectful to a relationship?
If you’ve ever felt insecure about it, how did you work through those feelings?
I’m really just looking for different viewpoints, not to judge anyone. I know every relationship is different, and I’m curious how other couples navigate this.
**TL;DR; : This is a sample summary of the TLDR rule, all things are bold. Is this going the right way?**.

guys. I posted this on a, different thread and got soem really good advice. Reposting this here in case I could get any advice from people who might have gone through something similar.

Need some advice from anyone who has dealt with a breakup that made them completely lose their sense of self.

​I was with a Japanese girl for a couple of years. We met here in and then she moved back to Japan. Before things went south, our relationship was honestly amazing. We had a really deep understanding of each other and everything just felt right. Our families were talking constantly and I was making solid plans to move over there for my studies just to be with her. I never even worried about us because we were going so strong.

​About two years in she got drawn into a new faith. At first I was totally supportive because I just wanted her to be happy. We even talked about it and agreed early on that having different beliefs wouldn't be an issue. But the deeper she got into it, the more it seemed to change how she viewed everything. It got to a point where she was so passionately driven by this new faith that her decisions were entirely based around it. Suddenly she told me I had to convert too or we were done.

​The thing is, it wasn't just about the religion anymore. She started demanding I drop core things in my life that make me who I am. Like making music for example. She basically told me to cut that out completely. And it bled into everything else too. Even normal couple things we used to do like basic flirting or teasing each other just stopped. Even doing something as simple as watching a movie made her really hesitant. I was so invested in us that I actually spent days fighting my own thoughts, trying to see if I could make those compromises to keep the relationship going. But being asked to drop my own personality just to be loved by her really messed with my head. Can you even call it love if you have to change who you are for someone to love you? We ended up fighting a lot because her faith made her feel I was completely in the wrong for not changing.

Eventually we had to break up.

​That was two years ago. I'm totally over her but I'm stuck on the aftermath. The whole thing just triggered a massive identity crisis. Because I was so willing to change who I was for her back then, I feel like I just lost touch with myself. I stopped making music, stopped going out and just became this empty shell doing things out of habit.

​I'm 26 now. I know there's a future out there and I want to date and feel loved again for real. But I feel stuck because I don't even know who I am right now. I feel like I can't be a good partner to anyone until I fix this.

​If anyone has been through a relationship that stripped away who they are, how did you figure yourself out again? How do you actually rebuild and move forward? Any advice is welcome :)

**TL;DR; : How do you find yourself again after a relationship that ended by stripping out your sense of self?**.

**TL;DR; : sorry I have written a lot, you can read if u want u can skip if u want. So, it's been a year since I met my boyfriend, and it's been 3 months since we got into a relationship. For 10 months, my current bf persuaded me to get into this relationship, and I had been practical about it because this time, I wanted to have a serious, mature, and genuine relationship with whoever I committed myself to.

He has always been open about his past relationships, and he still is. He truthfully tells me about whom he has dated and who tries to approach him, etc.

He has always been open about his love for me in front of our mutual friends and his own school friends, too (we belong to different cities, but we study at the same college). But he has a habit of showing off in front of other girls to tease me because I get jealous. Even though I have told him multiple times that I don't like it, he smiles and says that I look cute when I'm mad.

For the first month of our relationship, he was very affectionate. He pampered me and put effort into making me feel loved. One day, when I asked him if he would ever talk to his parents about me, he got serious and said, "I will, but my father will never agree to this relationship. He won't let me marry you because he is strict about love marriages."

After that day, our relationship started going downhill. He began distancing himself from me and told me that it was best for us to do so for the sake of our future.

Even after having this conversation multiple times, where I told him that I would never force him to marry me if his parents disagreed with our relationship, and that we could keep our relationship the way it was before, he still kept his distance. He claims that he loves me and cannot live without me, but he keeps distancing himself from me.

After every conversation, he agrees that he will be with me the way we were before. But I have noticed that he still keeps his distance. Sometimes, he shows me so much affection that I feel like crying, but other times, he just doesn't seem to care.

For the past 3 weeks, we have been fighting over little things again and again. And he just doesn't talk to me for around 3–4 days after every fight. After those 4 days, when I call him, he talks to me calmly, meets me, and acts as if everything is normal. One day, he is affectionate towards me, and the next day, he just doesn't seem to care.

Whenever I try to have a serious conversation with him, he seems like he is trying to avoid it. But somehow, we still end up talking about it. He agrees with me but does the exact opposite of what I ask him to do.

He never calls or texts me unless I do it first. And when I ask him about it, he says he is super busy and doesn't even have time to talk to his parents (they don't live together; his parents live in their hometown, while he is here for his studies/work purpose). So, according to him, if he doesn't even have time to talk to them, how can he have time to talk to me?

I am giving him a lot of space to deal with his issues and think about our relationship, too, but we still fight over and over again. Whenever we fight, I just cry, and I feel like my crying makes things worse between us. I feel like he is frustrated with my habit of expressing my emotions by crying, even though he has never said that directly.

I know he is frustrated, but he gets angry over small issues and even jokes, even if he was joking just a minute ago. He is becoming more immature over the days and avoids having conversations or making eye contact whenever we have issues.

I am scared of losing him because I feel like he is a nice person at heart (not when it comes to our relationship, but generally). I am emotionally drained and done with his immature behaviour and constant ignorance towards our relationship because this relationship is really fragile. My insecurities are taking over me, and sometimes, I feel like he likes someone else, and that is why he is doing all this to hurt me and get rid of me.

I don't know what to do, and I cannot leave him. Please give me suggestions to help me understand our relationship. (Please don't say leave him, get out of that relationship, etc.)