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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Girlfriend keeps making me repeat myself it’s driving me batshit. Who’s being unreasonable?

140 replies

Flamingo1980 · 13/05/2019 21:09

Interested in your opinion. My girlfriend and I are a bit at loggerheads at the moment and I’m so so confused as to if I’m being unreasonable or not, or even just how move forward really.
We are both females, late 30’s, six months into our relationship. Recently we’ve started to disagree on the fact that she is frequently asking me to repeat myself over and over and it’s starting to drive me nuts.
She says I should be more patient and it’s because she needs ‘reassuring a lot’ over certain things but I believe that if you’ve told someone (and an adult at that) something once, then that should suffice.
Here’s an example. We visited her parents this weekend. She kept asking if I liked them as she was “worried I would tell all my friends that I didn’t like them”. I said that first of all they were perfectly lovely and so no reason to do said thing and also, I’m not a mean person, so another reason not to say it. She said “are you sure?” I said yes. She said “but are you really sure you won’t?” And I said calmly “yes” again. This went on for a while longer and eventually I left the room to take deep breaths.
Later on we saw her dad play the drums in a band. He was great, the band were a bit strange to be honest but I didn’t care as I enjoyed it and liked him.
On the way home she said “are you going to tell all your friends that you had a rubbish time and you don’t like my dad?”. This time, I answered in quite an exasperated way that AGAIN, I’m NOT the sort of person to “tell all my friends” horrid things about her parents and actually I had a nice time and admired her dad. “Are you sure?”. “Yes”. “But I’m worried you’ll tell your friends.......”
At which point I interrupted her and said “look I just can’t keep repeating myself over and over like this. I’ve told you how it is, it’s making me feel crazy to have to keep repeating myself about things I’ve said once. That should be enough.” She got very very upset and said that she thinks I should accept that she needs a lot of reassurance about things and that I need to keep reassuring her no matter how many times I have to repeat myself. I told her it’s making me feel crazy having to repeat myself to her and I really could do without it. (I have a four year old and I work with dementia patients so I have to repeat myself all day long as it is.)
That was just one example of many many others that I could bore you with but I won’t so please don’t use that particular one as the whole picture as it isn’t. I was giving it as a general idea of the structure of how these discussions go. They happen so so often, it just now seems like endless repetitive questions that I’ve answered again and again and it’s really grinding me down.

Now ladies, I’m genuinely confused. Who the eff is being unreasonable and what can I do about it??

OP posts:
MrsMozartMkII · 13/05/2019 21:12

I get that she needs reassurance, but that level is bonkers.

Either you've done something drastic in tbe past and she has reason to doubt your word, or she needs to get help.

BlueSkiesLies · 13/05/2019 21:13

That would drive me insane. I don’t find needy drips attractive and that falls very much into the needy drip territory.

HelveticaSurprise · 13/05/2019 21:14

She sounds as if she suffers from anxiety, but to be honest, I couldn’t deal with the continual, repetitive demands for reassurance in a newish relationship. I’d be moving on.

FlossieTeacakesFurCoat18 · 13/05/2019 21:15

I think this would drive anyone mad - but given that you work with dementia patients and have a small child I imagine you've already used up your patience reserves!

Not sure what you can do about it though- she's not going to magically become a non-needy person overnight, could you suggest counselling? It must be awful to have that kind of anxiety going round in her head all the time.

RubyWho · 13/05/2019 21:15

Neither of you are BU.
It isn’t unreasonable for you to feel frustrated and brow beaten, and irritated.

However it sounds as if there’s something underlying with your GF, and that she is unable to not ask for reassurance - I am like this and it’s due to a very severe anxiety disorder. I hate that I need the reassurance too.
So on that basis, your GF is also NBU.

Has she articulated why she feels she needs constant reassurance?

Schwitters · 13/05/2019 21:16

I don't think either of you is being unreasonable.

Maybe she does need lots of reassurance and is insecure and maybe you find it particularly difficult to be depended upon in this way (not surprising, given you have a four-year-old and work with dementia).

So no-one is being unreasonable as such, but there's definitely a clash there.

Is the relationship fairly new? Or does your girlfriend suffer from anxiety or other mental health problems? It does seem strange/paranoid that she would think you would "tell all your friends" you didn't like her parents.

SarahAndQuack · 13/05/2019 21:17

You're just not suited.

Six months into a relationship, why make it more complicated?

She sounds pretty annoying from your OP, but then again, maybe we'd all meet her and agree she's lovely. It doesn't really matter. The point is that at six months, nothing should be annoying you like this. If it is, it's time to call it quits.

BenjiB · 13/05/2019 21:21

That would drive me bonkers.

Chocolate35 · 13/05/2019 21:21

I feel quite sad for her although I get how frustrated you must be. It took me three years to believe my now husband when he told me he loved me. I wasn’t quite as bad as you describe but I’m glad my partner hung around. Reassure her you like/love her but explain that you can’t keep repeating everything either so she needs to try and take your word for it.

Rozzie18 · 13/05/2019 21:22

She sounds very insecure. I feel for you OP, as this is a difficult situation to be in. One of my dearest friends is like this and I spend my life reassuring and going through things with her at length. We’ve been friends since we were children and I know why she is like this so I have a lot of patience for her.

There’s not much you can do other than make her feel as secure as possible.

I will add that this has been a dealbreaker for my friend in a lot of relationships as people dump her for being ‘needy’ and insecure which then makes it worse.

PuppetShowInTheSoundofMusic · 13/05/2019 21:23

Your characeterisastion of her making you repeat yourself isn't really fair. It's not repetition thats the issue. It's that she needs A MASS of reassurance to a very high degree.

I've known people like that who once they do feel secure in the relationship will ease off this kind of thing but their anxiety causes problem early stages.

If you do otherwise really like her, I'd embrace this need for reassurance as part of her personality and a way for you to help manage her anxiety in the hope over time, once she's more sure of you it will reduce, which it probably will if you can get through this phase.

If you aren't that keen, I'd end it now.

To be honest though, there are plenty of really lovely great people who would make great partners if they can be helped through this initial anxiety insecuirty stage but many people give up too early. Really depends how much you like her.

Flamingo1980 · 13/05/2019 21:23

Very good point about neither of us BU. We both clearly have different needs. She needs constant reassurance and I need to not repeat myself!!

OP posts:
littlepeaegg · 13/05/2019 21:24

Sounds like she might need some therapy. I was so bad with my partner, wanting and needing him to reassure me all the time. I definitely could have lost him. I just pushed him away.

I had CBT, and my god it changed me! I wish I had done it sooner in my life. My partner and I are now three years down the line, and sometimes I have bad days but he knows and understands that.

I had a troubled childhood and trust was hard for me.

Flamingo1980 · 13/05/2019 21:24

Puppet, some very sound advice there I like it!

OP posts:
scratchyfluffface · 13/05/2019 21:28

Oh god, she definitely needs to deal with her anxiety. It is not your job to reassure constantly

Dragongirl10 · 13/05/2019 21:30

God that would drive me nuts!

Could you explain to her that you are VERY honest and blunt so if you tell her something is good or fine...it really is the truth. If not you will tell her...

Also it is positively childish to think you would 'tell your friends something negative' tell her you don't ever behave that way!!

If that doesn't work it is doomed!!

Flamingo1980 · 13/05/2019 21:30

Littlepeaegg thank you for your side, that does make sense. She’s had a for amount of therapy in her life but maybe she needs more... she says she feels different and more anvious in this relationship as “she loves me so much” and reckons she isn’t always like this... not sure what to do with that...

OP posts:
Flamingo1980 · 13/05/2019 21:33

I’m relieved to see it would drive others nuts too as I really did think maybe I was being just impatient and mean but maybe not...
I feel so so sad about it as I love her but it’s teally wearing me down and I’m not sure I can do this forever if it continues like this. It’s causing upset nearly every time we see each other.

OP posts:
Chinks123 · 13/05/2019 21:33

I also have a young child and work with dementia patients..by the end of the day I am mentally exhausted and sometimes it’s an effort just to tell dp about my day. Sorry this would drive me mad, I’m not really sure where she’s getting the idea you would be mean about her parents to your friends.

FurrySlipperBoots · 13/05/2019 21:36

Is she autistic? I've worked with children on the spectrum who are like that.

Sadik · 13/05/2019 21:36

"We both clearly have different needs. She needs constant reassurance and I need to not repeat myself!!"

I think you've summed it up perfectly - neither of you is 'wrong', you both have valid needs. If you put it like that to her, would she understand? I do wonder if some counselling might be really helpful for you both, I know it's unusual at that early a stage in a relationship, but if you feel there really is potential then perhaps best to nail this before she gets more & more anxious, & you get more & more irritated by it.

BumbleBeee69 · 13/05/2019 21:37

OP, nobody could like like this long term, this is way too needy by any standards. Flowers

AlexaAmbidextra · 13/05/2019 21:37

She needs some therapy. No matter how many times you repeat yourself it will never, ever be enough. I honestly don’t think I could be bothered with this.

Flamingo1980 · 13/05/2019 21:42

Schwitters it’s been six months. She claims to not normally be an anxious or paranoid person and says it’s because she “loves me so much” that it’s making her anxious about what I think about her so hence the constant questions.
But of course ironically it is pushing me away and taking the spark out of things.
Do I stick to my guns and refuse to engage or do I keeeeeeeep reassuring and hope it eventually makes her feel reassured and calmer? I’ve never been in this situation before.

OP posts:
PuppetShowInTheSoundofMusic · 13/05/2019 21:44

I feel so so sad about it as I love her but it’s teally wearing me down and I’m not sure I can do this forever if it continues like this. It’s causing upset nearly every time we see each other.

If you do love her, I'd try and stick it out because I don't think it will continue forever. What she needs is to feel secure. For some people this will only come once their anxiety has calmed.

Some people will do this by provoking arguments - becuase they believe their partner will leave them - if you can pass through the phase and make them really believe you love them, this carapace of anxiety will shed and you will be left with a blossoming butterfly of a partner who is whatever lovely things you saw in them to start with now enhanced by the absence of the anxiety.

Depending on how insecure/anxious someone is this can take longer/shorter, but really in the scheme of life, it's nothing is it - if you'd end up with a secure compatible partner for 30 or 40 years, even 1 year of repeating yourself is probably tolerable.

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