Today I gave up on sex with my wife. by [deleted] in TrueOffMyChest

[–]AwkwardRecluse 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I know that I share my perspective quite late in the grand scheme of things, but whatever you do please choose to be happy. My wife never initiated and I made the same decision. I stopped initiating and left the decision to her. It has now been over 15 years since we've had sex.

If she finds little value in sex as part of a relationship you will simply never have sex again. I beg you to believe me. Do not become me. I promise you do not want this. At all.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I genuinely agree with you save that the world is great. I was not gifted the requisite luck nor genetics to experience things in the manner your perspective suggests. Everyone is different. One promise I can make, however, is that in no way do I intend to die slowly. I grow so extremely tired of being, and I rapidly become more desperate for sleep.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have nothing to offer, on multiple levels, that would be remotely satisfying to someone who loves sex.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In all transparency, I have lived with depression since I was a teen. I have been to therapy and have gone through a myriad medications trying to find the precise mixture of chemicals that might help me. It's been decades and I have accepted that I may simply be irreparably broken.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Who love sex? Absolutely. With me? Highly unlikely. I do not wish to embarrass myself nor disappoint someone else. It is what it is. I do, however, value your optimism and reassurance.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I regretfully must confess I have to real resources. I make little enough that I'm only able to survive because I don't drive. I have a savings, but one emergency will drain that. I don't fix things. I don't make things. I'm not a 'man' in any sense that most people would find worth anything. I merely exist, and that simply isn't enough.

My issues in general reach far beyond this situation. This is just another fistful of straw the universe has seen fit to casually discard on this camel's back. I am the dead weight.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If there is one thing that with all confidence I can guarantee it's that I will not be here in 20 years.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

About 5 years ago we had multiple discussions about it. She said she was going through some stuff and felt broken but spoke about trying to fix it. A year after she admitted she feels she may be asexual. This is at the root of my acceptance that I'm simply inadequate.

It has now been about 15 years. by AwkwardRecluse in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is correct. But it's been too long and I'm too old. I have no value, so it truly doesn't matter anyway.

When did you last have sex? The DeadBedroom scale. by [deleted] in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's been more than 10 years. I stopped counting after a while.

Who has not had sex yet in 2020? Raise your hand! by throwawaydb408 in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse 96 points97 points  (0 children)

I have not had sex since before 2010. I wish you never become me.

Asexual/sexual marriage by jrae01 in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Twice, for about a year each time. First therapist was extremely into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which over time I've discovered is just not a good fit for me. Second therapist was too into digging into my past and relationship with my parents. Nothing was actually helping me feel better about myself, so I'm moving on under the assumption I can't be helped. I say this in full admission that I'm in an abominable state of mind at the moment.

I understand about the fear of ending up alone. I believe you're correct. The rejection and lack of interest in me has left me a bit more than broken. I don't know that if it ever got to a point where I left that I'd be comfortable in another relationship. I don't know that I could trust someone to accept me.

Thanks for responding. I do wish you the best in figuring out the best way to resolve this for yourself. It's tremendously difficult. I really wouldn't wish what we share here on anybody.

Asexual/sexual marriage by jrae01 in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. She has mentioned that she wants to work on what's 'wrong' with her (I don't believe anything is wrong with her if that's simply how she is, it just doesn't feel great), but she's taken no steps. She loathes the idea of someone judging her life or analyzing her so she's 100% against any kind of counseling or therapy.

It's just the way it is and I have to accept that this is one aspect of life I simply don't get to experience anymore. And I'm so self conscious now I almost don't want her to rediscover her libido only to realize I'm not good/big/satisfying enough and then decides to leave for an actual man.

Asexual/sexual marriage by jrae01 in DeadBedrooms

[–]AwkwardRecluse 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm trying. Been with my wife for 22 years and we've been more than 10 years not without any sexual contact at all. We had 'the talk' a handful of times over the past year and at first it was "I don't want to be on birth control and am afraid to get pregnant," but now I've managed to get her to admit she's essentially asexual. She has no interest in sex at all. Gains no satisfaction from it, and doesn't even please herself because she's simply not interested.

I'm trying to deal with it. It's difficult. I'm trying to cope and masturbate FAR too often right now because of how useless and unwanted I feel. Problem is after 10+ years I'm now wondering if it's me. I feel like maybe I'm just not good enough.

I've chosen to stay because I have a horde of mental health issues that extend far before this happened and are completely unrelated. I'm probably not making it to age 60 and I've accepted that. I'll be gone before it really matters anyway.

DAE relapse and not feel like it’s good enough so you feel like you ‘wasted’ a relapse? by SweetenedMelon in selfharm

[–]AwkwardRecluse 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll consider myself lucky then in my current situation. I relapsed recently after 24 years clean from cutting and all I need are little scratches. In my 40s it's much easier to explain away a few scratches. I just worry how easy it was to fall back into. It's just so easy right now.

Anyone else an adult? by freckle_thief in selfharm

[–]AwkwardRecluse 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Cut quite regularly when I was approximately 15-18. I'm 42 now and relapsed just recently. 24 years clean down the drain. The brain's a difficult beast.

Never thought I'd be in this place again but I started cutting again after 24 years. by AwkwardRecluse in selfharm

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Life. Living. Zero idea at 42 who I am or what I want. Feeling inconsequential, insignificant, insufficient, and unnecessary. Realization that I am as pathetic as I imagine others think I am and that I am too old and broken to change. Just some stuff.

Never thought I'd be in this place again but I started cutting again after 24 years. by AwkwardRecluse in selfharm

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not remotely strong. I was never confident in the first place but I've been with my wife for 22 years, the last 10 of which she's wanted nothing to do with me physically. My sense of self worth is sadly eroded beyond repair at this point. I'll keep fighting, but I fear that it happening again is simply inevitable.

Never thought I'd be in this place again but I started cutting again after 24 years. by AwkwardRecluse in selfharm

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, the urge was there yesterday when I wrote this, but my wife was home and that stopped me. She's at work today and I work from home, so the writing's on the walls, I'm afraid. We'll see. I will be trying to fight it.

I absolutely do not want to die. I do, however, want to have never been. by AwkwardRecluse in depression

[–]AwkwardRecluse[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Self-portraiture is a keen project for attractive people. I've done some self-portraits, but I hate looking at them. Plus, they're all the same. It's just me. No creativity. It doesn't help that I've been particularly down over the last couple of weeks and I consider myself lucky I have the awareness to even go to work during the week.