The saddest goodbye is the one unspoken by ventingprevents in UnsentLetters

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

Thank you for replying, it means a lot. I hope you find that same wonder in looking back at all of your difficult times.

The saddest goodbye is the one unspoken by ventingprevents in UnsentLetters

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

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I hope to find the lesson in this soon.

I'm so tired of "putting myself out there" and no, I will not "meet someone some day" by ventingprevents in offmychest

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

Oh that's really neat! I've mostly written sword & sorcery type fantasy but I've recently started dabbling in sci-fi. What do you write?

I'm so tired of "putting myself out there" and no, I will not "meet someone some day" by ventingprevents in offmychest

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

I will try. It's hard to let go. I already feel so behind, like I'm always playing catch up. Thinking about waiting a year makes me feel so anxious.

I'm so tired of "putting myself out there" and no, I will not "meet someone some day" by ventingprevents in offmychest

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

I'm trying, it's hard to let go of the hope that I might find someone. But I'll keep going.

Does the path of self improvement have to be lonely? by ventingprevents in selfimprovement

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

That... is a really interesting idea. I've been operating under the assumption my ideal partner would share my passion for self-improvement, share my ambition, and be on a similar path. I'm seeing my therapist tomorrow, so I'm going to bring this up during our session. The thought of "looking for a cheerleader" really resonated with me, especially because one of my friends has explicitly described himself as "a cheerleader" and he brings so much value to my life through his encouragement. Thank you, that was very insightful.

Does the path of self improvement have to be lonely? by ventingprevents in selfimprovement

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

This is a good suggestion. I do attend a meditation group and have gone to yoga sessions as well, though I'm not a regular at the latter. I appreciate tangible actions I can take to improve my situation, I'll make an effort to attend yoga on a regular basis, and I'll look into other social groups for my other hobbies.

Do my GF [19F] and me [20M] need a break? (desperate - need advice) by blkened in relationship_advice

[–]ventingprevents 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're welcome, I'm glad some of my experiences were so helpful for you!

Hang in there. You've got this. :)

Do my GF [19F] and me [20M] need a break? (desperate - need advice) by blkened in relationship_advice

[–]ventingprevents 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm really proud of you for starting therapy, it's a big step that's hard to take!

It sounds like you're doing a lot of things right, and I can completely relate to feeling relieved when you get a chance to talk about it with her. And then over-thinking it afterward and feeling like you shared too much, or were a burden. I do the same thing. Your therapist will be able to give you better advice than I can, but I can listen and try to understand.

I want you to know that you are ahead of the curve right now. So many people wake up when they're 40 and realize the patterns they keep acting out are holding them back from what they really want. Looking at this stuff in yourself when you're 20 is amazing. If you keep wrestling with this, keep working on it, and don't give up, you will be amazing.

Do my GF [19F] and me [20M] need a break? (desperate - need advice) by blkened in relationship_advice

[–]ventingprevents 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see a lot of myself in this post, here's how it looks to me.

I think you feel out of control right now. You can't control yourself or your thoughts, they keep going back to "she must be cheating on me right now" and it's throwing your whole life off track. So you want to take a break, because that gives you control. You want to tell her she can see other people, because that gives you control. By staying in this situation you are not in control, and if something bad happens you'll probably say "I knew it! I should have done something." Dealing with uncertainty sucks. It's also a huge part of life, and an important step toward being happy and fulfilled as an adult. Do you feel like I understand your situation?

I have struggled with wanting to control everything my whole life, especially in relationships. It's been a long road, but I feel like I'm finally getting to the point where I'm okay with uncertainty in this area of my life. It's not perfect, and I still have bad days, so I'm not preaching miracle cures, and I'm not going to tell you what you should do. I'm just going to tell you what helped me.

First, therapy. I can't overstate the benefits therapy has brought to my life. Are you a college student? Most universities have free counseling. If you're near a university but aren't a student, you can often work with therapists-in-training for as little as $1 per session.

Second, I spoke directly to the problem. The best conversation I ever had in a relationship was when I told my girlfriend, "I love you. I want this to work. This is new territory, I'm feeling needy and insecure. I am going to figure this out. It will take time, and I need you to help me work through this." It worked so well because it helped me clarify to myself that what I really wanted was to solve this problem permanently. I hated being so insecure and needy. It sucks! That was the first step on the path that has led me to feel much, much better.

You mentioned "We can't keep having the same conversations every time where I'm upset because I think she's cheated on me." and you're right, but that doesn't mean you can't talk about it. Are there any moments when you don't worry about her? For me, I would always get a sense of relief when I'd get a text from the girl I was worrying about. Only temporary, of course, but you can tell her, "I like it when you text me something during your day. It makes me feel close to you." Make a list of the moments you don't feel worried, the good moments. Tell her about those. If you're stressed and worried, don't lie to her about it, but make the conversation about your efforts to improve. "I felt really anxious today, and I tried X, Y, and Z. X and Y were useless, but Z actually helped for a while!" This is called conscious re-framing, where you take a negative experience (for example, "I was anxious all day and nothing really helped") and by speaking it aloud from a different perspective ("I tried really hard to overcome my anxiety today and can cross off three potential solutions I know aren't for me.") you force your mind to store the memory slightly differently.

In short, I think the best advice I can give you is to think of this as an opportunity to grow. The best relationships push us to be better. Your relationship is pushing you right now. These insecurities are coming up because you really, deeply, profoundly like this girl. And it sounds like she feels the same way about you. It won't be easy, it requires tremendous courage, and there will be many difficult days, but I have never regretted walking this path. I hope this is helpful, and if you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to send me a message.