KAI
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by KAI on Jan 9, 2021 8:47:33 GMT
Hello,
another step to take to get closure in this weird post breakup situation
(short term relationship, sudden breakup after an incredible beginning and she went back right away to her bipolar ex which she expressed almost hating while we were together)
GETTING MY STUFF BACK
we didn't speak much since the breakup (3 weeks ago), we connected 3 times. Every time it was me : first time i tried to test the waters (i wanted to reconcile, i didn't know about the ex), she answered expressing no regrets whatsoever concerning the breakup, and she mentionned giving my stuff back. I proposed we could meet in january, she said yes. I sent a text for her b-day, and found out right afterwards about the ex. She just said "thanks".
Now 2 days ago, i contacted her again to set a date and get my stuff back. At this point, i know that this is hopeless, she 's a walking emotional wreck, so i just want my stuff back and auf wiedersehen. I proposed by message that i could drop by her place next thursday as i would be around. 3 hours later, she replied, and asked what time i wanted to come to see if it was manageable for her (always without any feeling, in a very cold way although my msg was friendly), i answered "around 5.30" in the same tone one hour later. She stopped replying. Okay.
So that is the first thing. She was always very responsive and respectful while we were together, and now hse is treating me like a piece of trash.
Now the thing is she also owes me money. Not a lot, like 70 euros (about 85 dollars), but it's for the principle, I won't let it go. I lent her that money all along the relationship, because she didn't have cash and i did, so i was paying for her. I was also very generous in gifts and paying for the groceries and stuff, but this cannot be counted, but the 70 euros are related to precise things, for instance i bought tickets to a show for the 2 of us, and she would never ask how much she owed. Or we went to a taoo shop because she neede supplies, didn't have cash, so i would pay. I tried to not pay attention to those "details". But now i think it was a red flag. I think it's a question of control for her. I think money might be a symbol for something else for her. Anyway, she never again mentioned owing me money after that, or that she would reimburse me.
At first i thought i would wait for us 2 to meet to gently talk about the debt. But now i wonder if i should do it by message, after we set a date. If i manage to do it. But I'm a bit afraid that if i bring the money issue by message she starts ghosting me and i don't get anything or we have to create more drama. I wonder if she is trying to irritate me by not answering.
What do you think about this whole situation ? Should i wait to see her in person to mention the money or should i do it by message ? And should i wait for her to reply or should i insist ?
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Post by anne12 on Jan 9, 2021 15:21:21 GMT
"...always without any feeling, in a very cold way although my msg was friendly, i answered "around 5.30" in the same tone one hour later" - are you texting ? How do people text in a "cold/friendly" tone ? She has moved on. Remember the: Black and white thinking, friend or enemy thinking, splitting if bpd ect. - you are now black, enemy, in the past, ex, a fling maybe....You have to choose your battles. Can you tell her, to put your stuff in a garage, in a shop nearby, so that you can pick them up not having to interact with her ? Or you can suggest 2 or 3 different dates, where you can come to her house to get your stuff back. The message has to be written in a way, so that it is clear to her, that she has to choose one of the 3 suggestions and that she has to get back to you. Remember the request! You also have to choose how important it is for you to get your money back. Maybe she will never pay them back to you. And then its a lesson learned for the future. .. .Not a lot, like 70 euros (about 85 dollars), but it's for the principle, I won't let it go. - So what is it really about ? jebkinnisonforum.com/post/19310/jebkinnisonforum.com/post/18822/You can also try to think of, if you explicivilly told her - when you gave her the money - that it was a loan and that she had to pay the money back to you ? My male neiboughr, who dated a very annoying bdp women, never got his money back....I think a first he got blindsided by all the hot, loud and crazy sex - later he had a stress reaction and had to get sick leave from his work. You can try with a short message, write that you need the money and that you are expeting to get your money back and tell her to put them into your bankaccount no. xxxx,xxxx,xxxx Or to put the money in the same bag together with your clothes and the other stuff, that you want to get back. jebkinnisonforum.com/post/25919/ - boundary setting model - homework jebkinnisonforum.com/post/38350/ - the broken record method jebkinnisonforum.com/post/39032/ - you always have a choise I would be firm, direct, use broken record method if she is being flacky and has got a lot of excuses ect. while keeing in mind what kind of person I am dealing with.
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KAI
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by KAI on Jan 9, 2021 19:20:54 GMT
THANK YOU SO MUCH ANNE12 ! SPot on ...
I had a long conversation with my mother and sister and we basically came to the same conclusion : i don't particularly want to see her anyway, so i will ask her to leave my stuff to her roomate in case she is not here on thursday which will probably magically happen. I guess if i give her the choice of seeing me or not, she will choose the 2nd option, as it seems that i am now in the black zone, and she wants to totally erase me form her life as it seems. For no reason. I didn't object to the breakup, never said anything bad about her, never got angry, and didn't even confront her about all the bad behaviour she had since we broke up.
The only sign of interest on her part is she is still looking at my stories on insta.
Something bothers me : the fact that she could take her ex back (they were together for 5 months) from that black zone in an instant makes me wonder though : what happens when their thing reaches the inevitable wreckage ? Will she switch back and try to come back to me, cycling (he left the door wide open, and 'im not, so maybe she won't ...) ? I need to be ready in case it happens. (yeah i know what you think : you'll never be ready enough, pal. lol).
Concerning the money, my mother and sister also think it's best to let it go or just ask for the 40 euros that i lend her because she did'nt have cash that one time, because it was obvious that it was a loan, so we all agree here. Of course, she can pretend that she already gave it back and i don't remember (which isn't true), in which case, i will just say "oh ok, if you say so". Anyway, i will ask once, and won't insist. Dignity. Head up high. Yes i'm a bit angry, but it is manageable, but it's also a way of correcting afterwards the mistakes i made during the relationships, maybe this is pointless, but it's also a matter of justice and not being used or abused (i feel for your neighbour, i know now that i did'nt mention giving the money back while i still could because i wanted to please her .. lesson learned as you said). Thanks for the links !
I will try to communicate as you say, firmly and calmly. We are only texting which helps when you want to be firm and calm. I said her messages were cold, but it's not exactly that : they are flat. I was used to her writing incredibly beautiful messages, and since she deactivated, she doesn' put much effort, hence the "cold" feeling.
I wrote to her : "hey L., hope you are doing well, happy ny, i just wanted to tell you i wouldnt be too far from your house on thursday and could drop by to pick up my stuff at the end of the afternoon ..etc " she answer " hello, i am doing very well, i hope you are too At what time do you think you will be there next thursday, so i can see if its manageable. If not, i will drop by to give your stuff back the following days" me : "i think 5.30 ou 6" ------- silence
Voilà. All insights and advice highly welcome in this time of confusion and traumatic experience. Thx Anne12 and Alexandra
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Post by anne12 on Jan 10, 2021 5:44:18 GMT
Good for you and that you can find support in you mother and sister. AP men and some men with some disorganised attatchmentstyle, can be more in their feminine energy. Maybe also because your dad suffered from depression, so that you dident grew up with a healthy masculine rolemodel who could show you healty masculine anger and energy ? (sometimes depression is repressed anger that is turned inward) You can work with your healthy anger, boundaries, your masculine energy ect. jebkinnisonforum.com/post/37991/ - feminine and masculine energy and the 4 different attatchmentstyles Do you want to get more into masculine energy(many women loves this), then there is one thing that is most important to focus on: set your limits/boundaries and go for some of the goals you have set. Do not let anyone castrate you. jebkinnisonforum.com/post/39184/ - boundaries and the different attatchmenstyles jebkinnisonforum.com/post/39239/ - inner and outer boundaries Shes the cold one now. She has proberly shut down. Theres nothing more to say for her it seems like. Lets hope that she dosent come back - and if she does, then you will have your firm, no bullshit boundaries in place, right ? Being cold- is that something that you do not want to see yourself as (your dark shadowsides) ? Because you are the cool guy, the pleaser ex. - women (and other people) can loose respect for you, if you are walking arond with a nice and cool persona. They cant feel you and you risk not beeing seen as trustworthy. jebkinnisonforum.com/post/38962/ - the cool/chill guy Anger exersises to get your life energy back: jebkinnison.boards.net/thread/984/lifeenergy-back-anger-exercises-meditationsNo more Mr. Nice Guy: www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/no-more-mr-nice-guy-a-proven-plan-for-getting-what-you-want-in-love-sex-and-life/322707?refId=38796&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv9yfjd6Q7gIV9UeRBR1ZggOcEAAYAyAAEgKwRvD_BwE
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KAI
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by KAI on Jan 10, 2021 8:45:17 GMT
Yes, i realize it's been a pattern all along : i've always been the nice, cool, understanding guy.And i am determined in stopping that pattern. I think at 1st, when dating someone i should adjust my attitude on theirs and always be a little backwards and on guard. I can't see any other way to train myself in doing that.
No more mr nice guy sounds like something i could repeat myself regularly.
No more doormat attitude either, which is another problem i might have and yes, it's not that loveable at some point, i guess.
And even now, i realize i am still playing it cool although i would have tons of reasons to lash out at her. So why wouldn't i ? Do you think i should confront her (about the guy)? Am i afraid of burning bridges ?
I would be glad if someone could comment on that : Something bothers me : the fact that she could take her ex back (they were together for 5 months) from that black/split zone in an instant and put him back on the pedestal i was 2 weeks before makes me wonder though : what happens when their thing reaches the inevitable wreckage ? Will she switch back and try to come back to me, cycling (he left the door wide open, and 'im not, so maybe she won't ...) ?
thankx for being a light in the dark
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Post by anne12 on Jan 10, 2021 10:48:17 GMT
You wouldent lash out at her, because you are working on becoming more secure from now on and you want to keep your own dignety. You can risk getting overwhelmed and get a more dysregulated nerveussystem, if you dont release you anger in a controlled way. You can also risk damaging/hurting the other person. Its not about dumping your anger on other people. You are allowed to lash out in you anger letter, using SE tools - pretendig you are a lion, a jaguar, a bear with claws, that lashes out. We can have different angerpatterens with different people in different situations. jebkinnisonforum.com/post/39289/You can talk to her and strangle her, shake her ect in SLOWMOTION in this exercise -even if shes not there.... This 2 chair anger exercise also helps you to process your anger and it helps you to get back into your own power - anger is a natural feeling when our boundareis gets crossed, wne we get rejected and when we do not get our needs met - you can do it as a detox 5-10 min each day for 30 days. An then you can change the person in the chair with one of your exes, your dad ect. You have to use FACTs when you do the exercise, so that you do not make things up, otherwise you will stay in a victim-role. jebkinnisonforum.com/post/25648/Healthy anger jebkinnisonforum.com/post/38958/Trauma therapist Roger Jackson and Togetherness founder Adam Wilder discuss the role of anger, why it can be seen as taboo to express it and how to cultivate a healthy and enriching relationship with it. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShgfkOiAPeMPeter Levine - releasing anger technique- 4 min. in - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByalBx85iC8Because you are learning not to let other people perdict and dictate your mood and actions. You do your inner work, you do some of the exercises on this board, you work with you anger and your broken heart , you seek a therapist who knows how to work with the instinctive, emotionel and cognetive level - top down and bottom up. You can join a mens group, where you can share experiencens and where you can help eachother to get more into your masculine energy, where you can go out in the woods together (if allowed) and make a fire and sleep outside, do the haka dance or whatever you like to do as a man ect. jebkinnisonforum.com/thread/2799/working-feminine-masculine-energy-manYou can try to play the scenario in your head of how it would look like ,if you confronted her irl. and lashed out- you would proberly look like an idiot... how dare she find someone else that fast ... You can say out loud - "This sucks, but I will be okay. I which you had ended things diffrently - but you dident."
We cant know whats going on in her head. Why is it important to know if she would cycle back to you ? Because you want to get back with her or because you want to get a change to reject her or ? Focus back to you! You need to learn how to be pro active: jebkinnison.boards.net/thread/1198/victim-deal-negativity-role
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KAI
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by KAI on Jan 10, 2021 12:41:02 GMT
Yes, i know deep down that i will stay strong enough not to humiliate myself in saying such things.
It's not the sheer fact that she found someone so fast that bothers me, it's also because it's him, the easiest way of getting her amount of attention, the source doesn"t really matter apparently. She has been saying the most awful stuff about him, that she never was in love with him, that they did'nt have a connection, that she could'nt stand his sense of humour, that he was lazy, that he was clingy, that he could'nt compare with me, that he was a low-life, that she had to repeat to him that they weren't compatible several times so that he would understand, and yet he kept coming. Then they fought a lot, and she ended up not talking to him, removing him from social media, on the verge of leaving the organization they both are working for because she was too irritated with him. And that was at the end of november. 3 weeks later she's all over him. Ain't it batshit crazy ? She has been lying to me the whole time. She lead me on, why ? She's probably also saying horrible things about me right now to justify the breakup, mind you.
I probably want to get a chance to reject her, if i'm being honest. I don't want her anymore. According to what i"ve read here, i get that we've been living the best there was to be living during our 5 month relationship, (and that was like a one time vacation in a country you know you'll never visit again). If it was to go on, from what i read here and there on the forum, that would be on and off, hot and cold, disrespectful attitude all the way, so no. But, yes there is a part of me that would like to get to reject her i guess. Anger will pass. [edit : i had firm confirmation 5 days ago that she was dating the other guy, so i'm still working on swallowing that pill, and there is a lot of venting here]
Now about the getting stuff back thing, i"ve been sending that message this morning on insta, i cut in in 3 pieces and to my greater surprise i soon as i clicked "send" for the 1St part, the "seen" sign appeared. I was baffled, she answered straight away (talk about unpredictable i have been used lately to her never replying instantly, and suddenly here she is ...) so we chatted, i kept it cold, firm, to the point, asked about the money (40), she immediately mentionned something she said she paid for (the only thing she ever paid for) that was at my place, i said briefly : i will bring it back. (So the good thing is i manage to stay strong, firm and apparently indifferent when in contact with her through text, even directly chatting like this morning.)
I suggested she could leave my stuff to her roomates if she could'nt make it, she said "i should be here but i'm not entirely sure". At the end of the short chat, she said "see you thursday, then, have a nice weekend ", i answered a bit ironically "sure, see you thursday". I'm convinced she will avoid me this one last time as well.
to be continued
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Post by alexandra on Jan 10, 2021 21:23:27 GMT
I agree with much of the advice anne12 is giving you. It's also good you're angry, as that's a grief processing stage. That being said, I'm going to challenge the story you are telling yourself. It's not the sheer fact that she found someone so fast that bothers me, it's also because it's him, the easiest way of getting her amount of attention, the source doesn"t really matter apparently. ... She has been lying to me the whole time. She lead me on, why ? There's no reason to assume she was lying or led you on. At all. As you already know, she's not an emotionally healthy individual. Unaware and extreme FAs disassociate. They can't connect to their feelings and don't have a stable identity. They tend to react and respond, but believe what they say in the moment. So if you already know this isn't about you, it's about her limited capacity to deal with relationships and her issues attaching to others, why paint her black in this way that assumes the worst about yourself? Why tell yourself a negative story about yourself, that you're easily replaceable and a beautiful woman doesn't want you because you're not enough and you believe lies and are gullible, instead of telling yourself the true story instead, which is that she has too many issues?I probably want to get a chance to reject her, if i'm being honest. To continue this, you are giving all your power away and letting her define YOUR identity, instead of you feeling strong enough to be okay with yourself on the inside. Rejecting her doesn't matter at all, because all that matters is you do not abandon yourself. This is very painful, but neither she nor her actions nor even your story about her feelings for you (as you are projecting many assumptions about her feelings) are important now as they don't reflect on who you are. You and you alone define who you are. This is a big struggle for AP and anxious FA. These insecure types rely on external validation and emotional regulation. They look to others to make them feel okay because they do not know how to feel okay from the inside. This is not you becoming less "Mr. Nice Guy." Not at all. Being a nice guy means someone who respects others, who respects themselves and is supportive but not at their own expense (you see the other person as an equal, not putting them above you and doing things for them you don't actually want to do), and who doesn't look at relationships as transactions (you must be equal and fair at ALL times, you must both pay the same amounts of money, if things are not equal all the time then there is a power imbalance in the relationship -- no, these are all insecure attachment attitudes). It is not being guarded because you can't trust others. It's what I've said in other threads about slowly getting to know someone without the rush, to see if they are a stable partner worth your time, while also working on your own confidence, self acceptance, and trust in yourself. You keep abandoning yourself and having bad boundaries with women who are not able to have full, healthy romantic relationships of the kind you say you want. You now need to make your own words and actions line up. If you say you want that great relationship yet only choose emotionally unhealthy partners, then you are inconsistent yourself and your actions (picking partners who can't give you a healthy relationship) are the truth about what you want. You don't need to reject her to get your power back. All you need to do is accept both yourself and her as incompatible, and that she doesn't define you so you'll be okay. You define yourself, and that's what leads to good boundaries and helps with the grief processing. I do hope you get your stuff back. I think you will, whether she actually sees you or not, as my FAs always made the trade even if they were reluctant and difficult about it.
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KAI
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by KAI on Jan 11, 2021 8:32:25 GMT
I’ve been reading your post last night, ALexandra and i cried. And it felt good afterwards. Today, I feel MUCH better, more emotionally balanced.
I think the pain, the fact that I don’t get enough sleep these days, the anger, being baffled at the way she suddenly broke up and what came after, the almost constant reassessing of what I’ve exactly been living in those 5 months kind of narrowed down my thinking abilities. I can do better than that. I have been thinking in her place, with my way of thinking (also because during our time, she was presenting a very similar way of functioning as me, so idk if she was mirroring or what, but It made me assume that we were made of the same wood…), and I now have to integrate that we are just not wired the same, and i have to accept that the way she does things will probably always be baffling to me, so i'd better stop projecting, even if i'm still curious and will continue reading from here about FAs, and APs. Thank you for putting me back on track. It also gives me feedback on my way of doing things, which i have now to interrogate. That relationship was so extreme, that my behavior when it gradually turned more and more unhealthy was also very readable, restrospectively, and I can rely partly on that experience to try and correct it. I’ll soon concentrate solely on myself, I think getting my stuff back, knowing it will be definitely over after that as we will have no reason of meeting again (and I’m pretty sure she won’t show up on Thursday, I hope so even) will be a very important step moving on. True, but in the case of that r-ship, the money/gift/attentions issue made obvious at some point, in my own eyes, that something was not working well in the relationship, I think there must be a balance. Not an arithmetical balance, but still, it felt uncomfortable, at one point. It was a red flag, and it made me aware of some of the dysfunction of our being together (more on my part). As I was speaking to my analyst the other day, I could compare that to alcoholism (yes my father was an alcoholic), you say ‘oh, it’s just one drink”, then before you know it, you already had three, and on the way to the 4th while your drinking partner only had 2, and is watching you getting drunk. So I need to find a balance, and it might be clumsy in the beginning but I know I have to watch myself with the mild lovebombing and at some point it’s gonna become natural I guess. At least I think I partly know how it works : at some point, it”s not generous disinterested giving anymore, it’s compensating for your supposed lack of value, and (even worst), trying to pin down the person who might think ‘I can’t leave that person that is giving me so much”.
So the tipsy part of drinking is fun, but once you start, you have to be careful that it doesn' turn into more drinking, leading to more drinking, then being totally dead drunk, ending up vomiting the following morning swearing it wil never happen again. That's my point.
I also asked myself why I almost always end with insecure partners, of course. I said before, in other posts that you could’nt spot them right away, maybe it’s true. But it’s the coming on strong that is something to really watch. The immediate intensity, that I have been mistaking for love, and gave back. “Passion”. Which also means “suffering” in latin btw. My most insecure partners have been SOOOO intense from the start. This last one and the 2 bpds I’ve been dating really gave me quite a ride with they’re ‘I love you’s and “you’re so special” so much that it felt “like in the movies”. It’s also about validation of course, but today I can see there is another way. I love this feeling of intensity, but there are other areas in my life where I can find it, and even build it myself. I am an artist, and it’s been 3 years that I’ve neglected that to focus on unhealthy, draining r-ships that left me heartbroken and wondering about myself everytime. It’s been such a pattern that I’m laughing about it with my friends. There is also my mother, my sister, my family, my friends, that I’ve been putting behind for a few years, myself of course, my needs. I’ve been thinking that I always had to put the person I was with first. I need to see them as part of the whole picture now.
I think I might post again about the last episode to be coming : Thursday, getting my stuff back. I’m not worried about getting my things, I think she is too worried about what people think of her to pull anything now about it (or maybe not ? lol). I am slowly beginning to feel more empathy for her at times, because I can see from her actions that she is really lost, suffering a lot, repressing a lot, and she will still probably suffer more before she gets to healing if she ever does. She is quite conscious that something is wrong though (as she explained very clearly when she broke up with me. FA was written all over everything she was saying, although I still think there might be more to it, because of the severe dissociation i witnessed (the ex). I still didn’t come across such an extreme story of splitting the ex so badly to be coming back to him right away, although there are some amazingly dreadful stories here). She told me all those amazing self-conscious things when we broke up, and was crying a lot that night, but she “chose” to put it under the rug (the rug being the bipolar guy, lol) summing up the break-up by ‘we had reached the end of something”. YUP. thanks again ! You've considerably helped my thinking here, i know there was sometimes confusion on my part (this is/was a confusing situation) and thanks for getting me on the path of focusing on myself and ... getting better
more soon on the restitution of my stuff (and hers), then no more i guess except to react on other people's post
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Post by alexandra on Jan 11, 2021 9:41:36 GMT
KAI, this was very good to read because it sounds like you're really on the right track now. And don't forget, it's okay to be sad and angry (it's good, even!), you just don't want to get stuck in those places or you will eventually repeat the behaviors. But taking time to mourn the relationship is good too, so be kind to yourself as you're going through this. I am happy if what I said can help. I have been through this too, and found a very good partner after so much trial and error, so I know it is possible to work through AP and find what you're looking for! You have received a lot of information here, both from me and others, and you don't need to change everything all at once. It is a process, you will go forwards and backwards a little and then forwards some more. I tried to say things that helped me to think about when I struggled, and they are all ideas good to have in mind, but it's okay to get back to some of it later too. So focus on yourself, but don't pressure yourself to rush or get frustrated if sometimes you feel better and sometimes you feel worse. This is all normal! Post here if you have more questions or more to share or to answer others -- you are not limited to only posting about how this situation resolves, there's not many rules here except try to post on the correct board topic and try to be supportive lol. And don't post spam What you said about realizing that she thinks and responds differently than you is very important to understanding attachment theory and other insecure attachment styles. It took me a long time when I was AP to figure that out, that not everyone thinks the same way I do, but it really helped to know that. I understand what you are saying about not giving so much that it creates an imbalance (which I called giving more than you are comfortable with), and I agree. It will be good to pay attention to when you do this and that you can use this as a warning flag for yourself. We talk on the board about "twisting yourself into a pretzel," which means not being authentic to yourself and doing what you believe the other person wants you to do even if you do not really wish to do it. That will eventually create resentment and a power struggle. You are also correct, that when it is being given to compensate for your own perceived lack of value (which the other person may not even believe and may see you with more value, so don't just give it away by assuming they don't!), this is not a good place to be giving from. I feel like my boyfriend gives what he's comfortable with because he enjoys it and I do not feel any projection or like he wants anything from me in return (and hopefully he feels the same about when I am giving to him). "I am an artist, and it’s been 3 years that I’ve neglected that to focus on unhealthy, draining r-ships that left me heartbroken and wondering about myself everytime. It’s been such a pattern that I’m laughing about it with my friends. There is also my mother, my sister, my family, my friends, that I’ve been putting behind for a few years, myself of course, my needs. I’ve been thinking that I always had to put the person I was with first. I need to see them as part of the whole picture now." Reading this was great! This is exactly right. This is where I see you're really absorbing all this information from this forum and your analyst Things will get better for you, I am sure of it.
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