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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Spending time separately - am I demanding too much?

14 replies

IamThis · 17/10/2018 12:01

Hello. I would like some objective feedback, I guess. I am not able to trust my own instincts anymore. I have always been something like an "active introvert" - I like to do things and be active, but I also require a lot of alone time to process my feelings and my thoughts etc. I have had difficulties during my childhood and young age to be as active as I would like (low self-esteem due to not enough children around me or none of them wanting to spend time with me etc), but I finally found my self-esteem, courage and positivity and thus the perfect balance of activities and alone time during the past 4-5 years (I am becoming 29 very soon). I became very happy, rather confident, willing to meet new people and try new things, stand for myself etc.

I have had basically no long-term relationships. I found one a bit more than a year ago. We also live together for the past two months. And we seem to have different ideas of alone vs together time. I feel like he expects too much from me, but I also already feel that what I want might even be wrong and not possible in a relationship?

He had a five-year relationship before me, which was rather awful during the final year according to him. I found out only recently that it actually ended officially only month or two before meeting me. He has basically no friends (or at least does not basically communicate with them - claiming they do not have time for him - had friends years ago), he does not interact with his family much (claiming his brothers are too busy, his mother-father can manage on their own etc) and he has no hobbies (though he had a few years ago, but now he claims he does not know what to choose and if he has decided something, none of these activities are on suitable time or "all the other participants are probably this or that and I would not like them").

So. I have a few groups of friends (some of them live rather far away) and I meet wiht each of them maybe couple of times a year (so on average I meet with some friends once per month, sometimes more-sometimes less).
I also have my hobby - belly dance. I go to training classes twice per week after work. I also practice at home (while he cooks or watches tv or so). I had previously stage performances on average once per month, sometimes even more. I have cut down the number to around once per two months due to my boyfriend. Each performance usually require additional rehearsel in training class. I have also cut down other interactions with my training mates - like photoshoots or other projects (which I really miss, I feel like I soon will be somehow excluded from these interactions or so, they do not even bother asking me anymore to join).

However, I have started to belive that these activities (which I have already have cut down) are too much - well okey, he can live with that arrangement currently (after discussions), but if I want more - like spend time alone or run my errands by myself or have additional meetings with my friends or go to some event by myself or whatever - then I get the impression that it is too much ("I want to spend more time with you, we do not have enough time together, I do not want to wait until our old-age until we can spend some time together" - I have heard all this statements previously from him and now I'm so scared already to ask any more "my own things to do" and I have started to belive that indeed I give him too less time. But in my heart, I feel that I want even more things to do by myself, to be engaged more in my previous interactions etc, and most of all - to have some private alone time in our apartment (he rarely goes out without me.. because he has nothing to do!). Is it like reasonable? If I want to do more things separatedly - is it objectively possible, reasonable or am I really being selfish? I really feel currently that he always demands my attention and I cannot pursue my own things and therefore - I do not have anything left to give or offer to him. I have no enthusiasm or happinness in me anymore, so I am just not able to love anymore. As I understand, for him, it is very important to just spend time together..

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 17/10/2018 12:06

Please please please realise this relationship is not for you. He sounds needy and controlling, and it's very sad that you have allowed his insecurities to alter your life so much. You are NOT happy and that is only going to get worse. Get out before you lose even more of yourself.

ComtesseDeSpair · 17/10/2018 12:08

No, there’s nothing wrong with wanting your independence and to do things separately. But, there’s also nothing wrong with your boyfriend wanting to spend more time with you. Different people have different needs for company and attention, and it’s likely he associates love with wanting to be with somebody - and therefore interprets your need for space as a indication that you don’t really care for him.

You need to communicate our needs on this. He needs to understand you, and you him. If you can’t reach a compromise or a point where you each understand what he other wants from a relationship then you need to consider whether this is the right relationship for either of you.

ComtesseDeSpair · 17/10/2018 12:11

I say the above as somebody to whom time apart and independence is very important - I’m always upfront when I meet new people about this, and will probably not consider a monogamous relationship or living with a partner in the future. But I’m keenly aware that this isn’t something which suits everybody and that a lot of people associate care and love with presence and attention and are miserable without that.

junebirthdaygirl · 17/10/2018 12:35

I would not want to be with someone at your age who had no friends/ no interests/ no family contact..etc He is trying to suck you into his misery. You coming in from dance and him coming from whatever his fun thing is and chatting together is all part of the fun. You are normal in your outlook. You will soon grow very tired of him and his narrow life.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 17/10/2018 12:36

It sounds as if he is very needy and this is ringing massive alarm bells for me.

There is nothing wrong with having independent interests within a relationship - it's healthy. it sounds as if he is trying to cut your wings and keep you close to him.

An ex of mine did this once. It started like this. Then it included me spending time with my friends. Then it was about what I wore. Then it was about where I worked. And then about what I thought.

It ended up being death by a thousand cuts. Thankfully I woke up one morning and just had the clear realisation that I didn't even know who I was even more; he had turned me into little more than a puppet.

It took me a long time to work out how to get out of that relationship, and a long-time of being single afterwards to get back to being the happy, independent 'me' that he had trampled all over.

This was 10 years ago, and I'm only just starting a new relationship now. And I'm already ensuring that I have plenty of barriers in place to keep the independence I love, while also letting him get to know 'me'. It's a tricky balance.

Please don't let what happened to me happen to you.

am I really being selfish?

NO. This is after living together for just 2 months. Please, please end this relationship before he starts controlling you. (BTW, he also sounds quite boring if he doesn't do anything or have any friends..? Again, both massive red flags.)

Best of luck with it all.

hellsbellsmelons · 17/10/2018 14:10

Too many red flags OP and you seem to be ignoring them.
You have already altered yourself and your life and time for him and it's still not enough.
Nothing will ever be enough, until he has worn you down and you have no friends or family, he's totally isolated you and you spend every minute of the day with him.
Honestly! That is your future.
I would like to meet someone. But they would need to fit in around ME!
I see family and friends and I have a hobby that takes up some time.
One guy decided before we even met that 1-2 times a week was not enough. Fair enough. But that's all I want to offer. So take it or leave it.
You need to find someone with more 'about them'
More zest for life.
More get up and go.
More energy.
This is no way to live.
End it now before you get pulled in any further.

IamThis · 17/10/2018 14:33

Thank you all for your input. It releives me to know that I'm not wrong to want what I want. I have tried to motivate him to contact his friends and suggested hobbies etc. But yes, it is probably time to acknowledge the fact that our wants and needs do not match. I'll do my best to end it soon. I have a few "stupid" apologies why not to do it right away though. His birthday is next week, firstly. Then Christmas are coming.. Also he has nowhere to live if I end it because we live in my apartment...

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 17/10/2018 15:46

There will ALWAYS be excuses as to why you wait to break it off. PLEASE don't. It's not fair to you and it's really not fair to him. He will find a place to live, that's not your concern.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 17/10/2018 15:58

he has nowhere to live if I end it because we live in my apartment...

This is a situation he has engineered. This is his responsibility, not yours.

He is a grown man. He will be fine.

Please do not delay or there will always be excuses why not to do it.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 17/10/2018 15:58

PS: Christmas is over 2 months away - he's worn you down this much in just 2 months already, what will your life look like by then?

hellsbellsmelons · 17/10/2018 15:59

Do NOT wait until after Christmas.
Last year I waiting until Christmas. Then I couldn't ruin his New Year... blah blah blah.
Birthday - OK.
Then end it!!!!

RivanQueen · 17/10/2018 16:57

Don't wait till after Christmas OP, rip the band aid off and end this relationship now. The fact that you are starting to stifle yourself, cut back on doing things you enjoy and seeing your friends is terrible. When you meet the right person they won't be asking you to stop doing the things you love and spend all your time with them. A person that needs you to do this is very co-dependant and from what you said he sounds controlling and miserable.
With regards to him having nowhere to live when you end it, of course he'll have somewhere to go. He wasn't homeless when you met him, he's a grown man, he'll figure it out. It's not your responsibility to worry about that.

dirtybadger · 17/10/2018 16:59

There's never a good time.

There's Christmas then new year then he's making plans for Valentine's then you have a trip planned for Easter bank holiday. Etc etc. Now is actually a decent time tbh- Christmas is ages away.

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