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Partner makes me feel insecure & I dread going out

86 replies

MeganBoo · 09/09/2026 18:40

Hi all, I feel so insecure in myself/relationship that I don’t want to go out anymore. Bit of a long one but really in need of support.

I’m 25 and really really struggling to not hate myself and feel insecure. My partner honestly never compliments me even if we’re going out, I’ve dressed up and made an effort I get not one single compliment. On top of this my partner has made it clear that I’m not his usual type and constantly gets at me to do things to change my appearance such as wear more makeup and have my hair straight as he says things like I look like a ‘witch’ with my curly hair.

I’m struggling when it comes to going out with my partner as I always notice him staring at women who are his type/are attractive. I understand everyone glances at people of the opposite sex who are attractive and there’s nothing wrong with appreciating someone’s beauty, but my partner will obviously stare at them/check them out till they’re no longer in view and even if the woman sees him staring at her he’ll still keep looking. It makes me look at these woman and wish I was more like them and it makes me feel really stupid and embarrassed as they’ll see that he’s with me yet he’ll still stare at them like he’s never seen a woman in his life and in my opinion it makes him look like he’s available and interested in them.

I thought the issue was only when I go out with my partner but it’s now gotten worse. I went out by myself today to do some shopping and I wanted to hide and go home. There were a lot of attractive girls around, many of whom were my partners type, and all I could think is why can’t I be like them, I’m not good enough etc. I don’t really get along with girls as in my experience they’re rather bitchy and when I was out today some girls gave me dirty looks when I was walking past them almost as if I’m below them. I’m now back home and have got straight into bed under the covers, I honestly don’t want to go out again any time soon and want to stay home.

I’ve always been somewhat insecure as I’m underweight, have absolutely no figure and I’m rubbish at doing my makeup, I look like a clown when I try to do it. But I feel it’s now got really out of control and it’s going to take over my life. I feel like leaving my relationship as I feel a lot of pressure to look a certain way. I’m about to go on a massive spending spree and buy clothes that I like but also that I think my partner would like me in as I feel like I need to do better. I also have a hair appointment on Friday to get my hair professionally dyed and straightened which honestly I’m excited about but it’s all because my partner keeps nagging about my curly hair.

I suffer with mental health and struggle to get out the house as it is due to anxiety etc so me going out by myself today was something I was hoping to feel proud about but instead I feel self conscious. I’m seriously considering getting cosmetic work done to make myself look better, I have so much going on and feel really under pressure to look a certain way. Feel like I could cry right now, just needed to get this out my system😔

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 09/09/2026 20:10

He is a nasty bully, and is the cause of your insecurities, @MeganBoo. A decent man will love you exactly as you are, will compliment you, support you, and make you feel like confident and loved. This prick will never do this for you - dump him.

AutumnMuse · 09/09/2026 20:12

You are still young and honestly, there are plenty of other guys out there.
Someone better will appreciate you and treat you with respect, and you will be happier in a healthier relationship.

I agree, dump him.

momtoboys · 09/09/2026 20:13

You're 25? Bin him. There are so many men out there that will love you for who you are and compliment you all the time. Don't waste one more minute on this awful person. I can't even call him a man.

risingup · 09/09/2026 20:17

A word of advice from an old fart who has been around the block a million times.

There is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, better than being 25 and single. It doesn't get any better than that.

Bonkers1966 · 09/09/2026 20:17

If you hadn't stated your age early on I would have assumed you were a 50 year old woman stuck in an abusive marriage for 20 + years. Get rid of the prick boyfriend.

MeganBoo · 09/09/2026 20:23

Thank you all for your support, it really means a lot right now. I have tried to tell my partner I want someone who loves me the way I am and how he’s just moulding me to look like his ‘type’. He’ll just say that I won’t find anyone as good as him/other men will use me for sex or that he’s just trying to help me look better, he often says how he’s out of my league and acts like I’m lucky that he’s even considered me as a partner…I mentioned he told me to wear more makeup and he says it enhances your beauty and all girls need to wear makeup to look good. I’ve told him there’s no point doing my makeup and dressing up if I’m just sitting at home all day and he says I need to always look good and make effort.

I know if I was his type then he wouldn’t be so horrible and would probably move the earth for me, compliment me and be extra nice. I agree with what someone said about how I have low self esteem so it’s hard for me to believe I deserve better and everything negative he says about my appearance I believe. I wish I had the mental strength you guys have to realise my worth and leave him. I’m trying to work on myself and seek mental health advise although my partner dosent believe in mental health and says I don’t need therapy as he’s my therapist. I can see he’s a cloud of rain hanging over me, just trying to strengthen myself up to believe I do deserve better.

OP posts:
Gobbledegoo · 09/09/2026 20:24

Dump the vile partner. Then:

Expensive option: To celebrate go to a hairdressers with really lovely premises that would make you feel good about going to get your hair done. Then if you can afford it, go into a Department store and go to one of the make up counters that are more reasonably priced and have a make-over for your day to day routine.

Cheapest option: Go to your local college that does hair and beauty and treat yourself to as many treatments as you possibly can. They will be over the moon to help. Bear in mind that they are training and treatments will take longer and under close supervision. Any that do beauty probably do make up as well.

Whatever you do there is no one better than you and you are worth every penny.

emmetgirl · 09/09/2026 20:25

You need to shed this excuse for a partner. He sounds fucking dreadful. Your life will improve massively without the weight of that tosser wearing you down.

daisyydaisyy · 09/09/2026 20:49

MeganBoo · 09/09/2026 20:23

Thank you all for your support, it really means a lot right now. I have tried to tell my partner I want someone who loves me the way I am and how he’s just moulding me to look like his ‘type’. He’ll just say that I won’t find anyone as good as him/other men will use me for sex or that he’s just trying to help me look better, he often says how he’s out of my league and acts like I’m lucky that he’s even considered me as a partner…I mentioned he told me to wear more makeup and he says it enhances your beauty and all girls need to wear makeup to look good. I’ve told him there’s no point doing my makeup and dressing up if I’m just sitting at home all day and he says I need to always look good and make effort.

I know if I was his type then he wouldn’t be so horrible and would probably move the earth for me, compliment me and be extra nice. I agree with what someone said about how I have low self esteem so it’s hard for me to believe I deserve better and everything negative he says about my appearance I believe. I wish I had the mental strength you guys have to realise my worth and leave him. I’m trying to work on myself and seek mental health advise although my partner dosent believe in mental health and says I don’t need therapy as he’s my therapist. I can see he’s a cloud of rain hanging over me, just trying to strengthen myself up to believe I do deserve better.

You really don’t have to live like this. Why would you want to be with someone who doesn’t like you? If he wants someone who looks a certain way he can go and find her then.

you want someone you loves YOU for exactly who YOU are. Nothing will happen if you leave him, you will be totally fine, much happier, and you’ll probably get the Revenge Body and the Fuck You Glowup because that’s what most people do after a relationship, then hell be really sorry in 3 years time when you’re engaged to someone who thinks you’re the best thing on gods green earth.

you are so young. BE young. You don’t need to put up with him you just say I can’t deal with this anymore I deserve someone who makes me feel good, and that person is ME, goodbye you fucking knob.

you’ll be okay ♥️

DreamingOfGeneHunt · 09/09/2026 20:50

My love, with a man like he is, you could be quite literally every single thing he ever asked for and he would still tell you that you needed to change.

I'm 45. I've been with people like him. They don't change and they don't get better and they don't even like you, let alone love you. You can and will feel better and have a lovely life without him.

SeptemberRains · 09/09/2026 21:01

Please leave this dreadful man. I have read your previous posts about your relationship and it's just awful. Have you friends or family that you can speak to?

Esperanza25 · 09/09/2026 21:15

Get rid of him. He should not be making you feel insecure like that - you are worth far much more.

NolanChanceJustLikeTheWeatherNSoul · 09/09/2026 21:45

He's an abuser grinding down your confidence
Get shot of this cunt
He will leave you a shell of your former self.

Bonkers1966 · 09/09/2026 21:45

The single life is fabulous.

TheChosenTwo · 09/09/2026 21:47

You are exactly his type, you are someone he can belittle and make feel small and worthless.
He wouldn’t cope with a stronger character who would laugh at him and point out that he tries tearing them down because he’s insecure. The ‘type’ you say he is describing wouldn’t put up with this crap.

Your choices are to stay and suck it up or stay and get rid of him. And they are choices. If you stay, you are choosing this future for yourself.

MyArtfulGreySloth · 09/09/2026 21:51

Lovely, your partner isn’t meant to make you feel like this. You deserve so much better.

Bestfootforward11 · 09/09/2026 21:52

You deserve much MUCH better than this fool. I really do think the first step is for this relationship to end. Any positive progress you make yourself he will be sure to shoot down to try undermine you. Do you live together? Can you afford to live alone? Do you have family nearby? You need to find a practical way to move forward.
You also need to find ways to build up your self esteem. It’s a good idea to explore therapy. Some other ideas to consider might be:
What opportunities are there where you live to do activities with other people eg Zumba, book club, park run, yoga, karate, knitting, volunteering…etc.
Is there something you might like to learn? Eg language, pottery, creative writing, photography, digital animation etc. There are lots of online course as well as in person ones. What are your goals for the next few years? the only condition is that these must not relate or include your partner! Anywhere you’d like to travel?
Just some thoughts. He is giving you a criteria of what you need to be according to him but the thing is that you get set your own criteria for who you want that be and who you want in your life. I really wish you well x

RampantIvy · 09/09/2026 21:54

Your self esteem will massively improve when you dump him. He is a vampire sucking all your self confidrnce out of you.

Get rid.

Bestfootforward11 · 09/09/2026 21:55

www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/talking-therapies/

WellThatIsABitMad · 09/09/2026 21:55

Girl you came to the right place. Never change yourself based on what some nasty bastard of a man thinks or says about you. Embrace your curly hair and wear what job like, don’t wear make up if you don’t want to. Ditch that vile person who you refer to as a partner (he’s not), and work on loving yourself.

TheeNotoriousPIG · 09/09/2026 22:06

Be yourself. If your partner can’t accept you as you are, then they are not good enough for you. If they try to make you change, you will end up living a lie and be unhappy. They, meanwhile, will find something else to pick on.

Ditching your partner would be the first step in overcoming your current battle. You're being degraded and put down by someone who doesn't deserve you.

You’re fabulous as you are. You don’t need anyone else to bring you down.

(And I say that as someone who really struggled with my appearance for a long time, because of what other people thought and said about me.)

RhannionKPSS · 09/09/2026 22:07

Please dump him, he is vile

ByLilacMember · 09/09/2026 22:15

Don't believe a word he says, he's a bad person and a lunatic. If you have your makeover he won't be nicer to you and surely you know that deep down. Even if he is nice for 10minutes you know he doesn't like the real you.
Block him and do a self referral for some counselling, nothing will feel worse than what you're going through right now besides being with that evil creep.

Thepossibility · 09/09/2026 22:17

I hope you manage to get away from that awful man. In all the years I've been with DH he has seen me looking truly horrendous at times and he's never said a word. Your partner is supposed to build you up, not tear you down!

Echobelly · 09/09/2026 22:19

Your partner is being a dick. Most men are not like this - I think he likes you because he knows you're insecure and he can 'keep you in your place' by demanding you change and not accepting who you are. I think it would feel amazing and be really transformative for you to prove him wrong.

There is a man out there who will respect you - this is not normal or acceptable and is not how someone who cares about you behaves.

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