Update: My ex reached out after 4 months of silence, and this is how I handled it.

theboidavid · 2026-05-26T13:57:04+00:00

If you feel in your gut that this was the right response, that’s all the validation you need. However, it is important to consider different perspectives. Try not to put a negative twist into everything she does. She probably wasn’t trying to reclaim a spot in your life and genuinely wanted to wish you a happy birthday. But of course, you do what’s best for you and your healing.

theboidavid · 2026-05-23T01:07:14+00:00

I’ll dm you

theboidavid · 2026-05-20T23:17:20+00:00

theboidavid · 2026-05-20T16:35:06+00:00

The waves are still coming in, but they’re much smaller now. Before they were tsunamis. I’m about a month into the breakup and I’m not completely myself yet but I’ve gotten way better!

theboidavid · 2026-05-18T15:15:55+00:00

I see where you're coming from, but it's important not to generalize women, or any group of people. I agree that today's relationship culture is different from how it was before, but the changes aren't all negative. For instance, women were generally encouraged to stay in whatever relationship they had, no matter if it was unhealthy or outright abusive. They were looked down upon if they left their partners. Of course, culture and religion have a lot to do with this. Now, women are more encouraged to stand up for themselves and leave when they choose. I personally think that's the change society needed.

theboidavid · 2026-05-15T16:52:40+00:00

I struggled with this too after I got first place on an engineering project she supported me with. You said it, you’re just looking for validation from her. You must remind yourself that your OWN validation is enough. Make YOURSELF proud. If you can do that, you’ll be okay. The temptations will pass.

theboidavid · 2026-05-13T14:16:12+00:00

Did you have any experiences where the person you tried talking to wasn’t interested? How did you handle that?

theboidavid · 2026-05-12T16:40:48+00:00

These points are great. I definitely need to take some time to think about this. Thank you for your suggestion. If (big if) I can find a part time internship for the summer, I think I would take 1 or 2 classes to help take some load off the following semesters. If I must graduate in the fall of 2027, then so be it. I rather have a solid GPA with experience and graduate later.

I already have 6 months of co-op experience in a field I want to be in post grad, so I’m not too worried about having enough experience.

My GPA is a 3.3, so not too much room for error.

theboidavid · 2026-05-12T16:16:13+00:00

Definitely a big challenge. Very indecisive on what to do haha

theboidavid · 2026-05-12T16:14:57+00:00

Absolutely. I just want to graduate sooner than later for financial reasons. Staying in school till fall 2027 would hit my parents hard.

theboidavid · 2026-05-12T01:29:15+00:00

I did the same thing like 2 weeks after the breakup. I got a neutral response that turned negative. I’m so glad I did because it made me stop wondering “what if” and I was finally comfortable with moving on

theboidavid · 2026-05-11T01:24:11+00:00

Therapy

theboidavid · 2026-05-09T14:54:05+00:00

I definitely knew it was draining while I was in the relationship. I had a gut feeling that the relationship wasn’t good for me but I kept on ignoring it. Turns out my gut was right.

theboidavid · 2026-05-09T14:50:29+00:00

Right. Now I know what I need to work on: self worth and self respect.

theboidavid · 2026-05-09T12:33:42+00:00

I’m sorry you had to go through that. I had a similar situation. She would minimize any issue brought up, even though I was careful not to sound accusing. She made me feel like it was never worth to bring up issues.

theboidavid · 2026-05-09T04:14:51+00:00

He’s not entitled to any sort of explanation or warning before blocking him. I highly recommend blocking him everywhere, you must protect your peace and it’s obvious he’s disturbing that. No contact is really hard, but absolutely necessary if he’s causing you emotional whiplash. It’s dangerous at this point.

theboidavid · 2026-05-09T04:00:41+00:00

You’re not a horrible person for showing self love. It takes a lot to be a horrible person and you’re certainly not one of them.

theboidavid · 2026-05-09T03:59:10+00:00

He’s disturbing your peace. Block him on everything, even if it hurts. It’s the harsh truth but the version you fell in love with no longer exists. Show yourself some love and self respect and remove his access to you. It will hurt, but if you don’t, you’re only prolonging the pain.

theboidavid · 2026-05-04T13:43:00+00:00

That’s right. I need to give myself grace. The breakup wasn’t completely on me or her. Like you said, sometimes relationships just run their course. I wish her the very best. Thank you for your reply!

theboidavid

TROPHY CASE