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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:
Nofunkingworriesmate · 13/05/2019 21:44

She obviously needs help

hsegfiugseskufh · 13/05/2019 21:48

Sounds like she has anxiety. You sound like you dont even like her tbh.

poweroverme · 13/05/2019 21:50

I didn't read it all, but tell her straight ' your with her because you love her and want to be,
and this need to reassure her constantly is not your responsibility. That is damage from previous relationships she needs to deal with and not to damage you or the relationship with it'
Be serious about that.
You love and trust should show her you care, not words. Actions!
This is a lot for you to take on so early on in a relationship.

LL83 · 13/05/2019 21:52

Tough one, as pp said depends how much you like her. Is it worth trying to push through and hope this stops when she is more secure or not. If you do want to try i think you have to reassure her. If it is her parents that are the worry it might be helpful to say some nice things about them randomly to hopefully push past this quicker.

JuniLoolaPalooza · 13/05/2019 21:53

Why is she so worried about what you'll tell your friends? Do you have a wide circle of friends who enjoy mocking people?!
Although she may have her problems, this behaviour sounds v destabilising for you (questioning yourself & how you come across) and I'd be mindful of that.

Boysey45 · 13/05/2019 21:56

Just tell her its affecting your mental health her banging on at you and that in future you will tell her once and that's it. If he continues to do it then say you will end the relationship. It sounds to me that she has either a serious anxiety issue or a personality disorder to be that bad.

Ellie56 · 13/05/2019 21:58

She would drive me nuts too! Maybe therapy would help?

ThatCurlyGirl · 13/05/2019 21:59

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

Spot on. Neither one has to be wrong in a relationship for it to be over - just incompatible.

In the past I was probably like her with one of my partners - I knew it was pushing him away but couldn't seem to physically stop myself doing it.

We split up, I went to therapy for a whole bundle of reasons and have worked on myself.

Now a good few years on I don't behave that way and see that I was actually quite manipulative, making someone else responsible for my own confidence and guilt tripping them if they didn't respond how I wanted.

Part my immaturity, part due to my past issues but all of it not his burden to bear and I don't blame him for feeling suffocated and ending things.

Did me the world of good as made me confront the root of my insecurity rather than assuming someone could reassure me out of awful anxiety without me working on it.

Indulging her won't help her be happy it will just reaffirm to her that she can only be happy through the words of others rather than confident in herself.

Good luck - you actually sound like you're very understanding and have a healthy attitude to relationships and boundaries!x

mulberrybag · 13/05/2019 22:00

Puppet I love what you've written. It's me to a tee. I've had a few really quite awful relationships and I probably am similar to how you describe the anxious partner.
It definitely becomes a non issue when that first anxiety eases and you're so right about becoming a butterfly 💜

MissMoan · 13/05/2019 22:02

She sounds really insecure. I don't think the issue here is you, she has issues she needs to deal with and it's unfair to transfer these onto you. Maybe you should take a break while she gets help, therapy, self love etc because you shouldn't have to deal with that, but neither should she. Good luck, whatever you do.

CardinalCat · 13/05/2019 22:05

I'm not sure WHO would be compatible with somebody who is so clearly insecure and desperately needy for reassurance. Somebody who thrived on being needed, I guess? None of it sounds very healthy or balanced. I like, in principle, the PP's advice re being patient and seeing it through in the hope that the neediness eases off, but what if it doesn't? Or if it eases temporarily only to rear its head again when she next feels the need for incessant platitudes?
I think you need to work out whether this - both sides willing- can be fixed, or make your peace and move on. It sounds like incredibly hard labour, at a point in a relationship where it ought to be fun and joyous.

Fairenuff · 13/05/2019 22:06

How about, instead of repeating yourself, say something different and simple like 'Trust me' or 'You can trust me'.

littlepeaegg · 13/05/2019 22:07

I am also taking sertraline for my anxiety. It helps so much.

She sounds like me! I was always asking the same questions. Or when he was away for work I'd bombard him with texts etc. I was sooo insecure.

Cognitive behavioural therapy has changed my life! Honestly. Maybe she needs to go back to therapy and perhaps ask dr about medication etc? I know it's not easy for everyone, and I resisted taking meds for such a long time. But they've really helped

Cherrysoup · 13/05/2019 22:08

This would drive me NUTS and would drag down the relationship, very quickly, for me.

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 13/05/2019 22:10

That level of reassurance required is not normal. No matter how understanding you are, it would make most people irritated and eventually snap having to say the same thing over and over again. It's like she's saying you're lying the first time and wants to push you and push you until you get annoyed, meaning she was 'right' and you don't like her - it's like a self fulfilling prophecy

In the example you gave above she sounded very paranoid, unless you've done something to show you dont like her family or you're a gossio, its very odd to assume you dont and that youd tell everyone

I'd be annoyed she is effectively calling me a liar and a gossip to be honest. With that level of insecurity though I'm not sure there is much you can do other than ask her to seek help

ThatCurlyGirl · 13/05/2019 22:12

Disclaimer: the following is NOT about the OP who sounds really nice and isn't comfortable with this behaviour!

But IME there is a type of man who seeks out either consciously (manipulative narcissists) or subconsciously (white knight syndrome types) very vulnerable women at a time they are likely to be unable to cope with a relationship.

I've never been chatted up so much by misogynist wankers as when I was anorexic, chaotic and totally unsure of myself.

Now I'm gobby and more self confident I get approached by much nicer people - who enjoy having a laugh with a partner and value someone being happy in their own skin, wanting to encourage this in a healthy way not a dependent one.

Good luck OP you should prioritise yourself and what you want otherwise this situation could turn into a toxic relationship very easily!

KissUntilTheyDieOfRabies · 13/05/2019 22:15

I've been like this in the past. Recently I've been similar but in a defeatist, 'you must be crazy to still be with me' kind of way.

I have a friend who when I met her, she was like your girlfriend. And jeez it was hard, I had to take regular breaks from her messages. But we spent more and more time together and I pushed her hard into believing in herself, introduced her to a new hobby full of cool people, she's still anxious etc but she is so much more confident.

CBT helps. There also may be another reason for her to feel anxious. She may well love you so much so soon. That she's scared she will lose you. She sounds like someone who has been hurt and messed around with before.

I don't think either of you are unreasonable. She needs a bit of support to calm down and you need some support to manage her bad days.

FaithInfinity · 13/05/2019 22:18

She does sound very anxious. I had a friend like this. She would repeatedly say Is this okay? Am I annoying you?. Over and over. In the end I said The only thing that’s annoying me is you asking me repeatedly if you’re annoying me! Relax! I enjoy your company. She’d come out of an awful relationship and didn’t value herself at all.

Your GF sounds very anxious. I have anxiety but from the very start with DH (married 10 years) he’s been able to reassure me and keep me calm. I’m skeptical about what she says about ‘She’s only like this because she loves you so much’. It’s not just about your relationship if she’s worrying about what friends think is it? Would she agree to some joint counselling? Just to open up and improve the lines of communication.

Missingstreetlife · 13/05/2019 22:24

Don't fed it. It's a bottomless pit. Don't be be unkind just say this is not ok, I've told you twice, if you ask again I'm going home. She needs to deal with it

CalmdownJanet · 13/05/2019 22:27

-----> the hills are that way. Leg it from the needy lunatic before you find a Bunny boiling on your hob.

HollowTalk · 13/05/2019 22:29

It would drive me crazy, OP. You have enough of that in your job without having it at home as well.

thelastgoldeneagle · 13/05/2019 22:35

Sounds like far too much hard work. You're only 6 months in!! This is meant to be the honeymoon period!! She sounds exhaustingly neurotic. Nah. Life's too short.

eightoclock · 13/05/2019 22:38

Don't engage when she starts doing this. Answer once and then ignore/leave if the same thing is repeated. My partner does this with me if I start repeatedly asking if I look fat or something. It's quite effective in stopping me talking in that way.
Although the examples you gave are quite offensive to even ask someone once! I'd be inclined to make it clear that you're sad that she has such a low opinion of you and refuse to discuss further.

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 13/05/2019 22:39

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

🚩🚩🚩

This is a big red flag to me OP. Her unpleasant behaviour (which it is) is your fault.

Purplecatshopaholic · 13/05/2019 22:40

I am not criticising either of you, but my god she sounds exhausting!