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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

Should I call off 2 year relationship with no commitment?

18 replies

HoneyBoo2401 · 13/05/2022 10:41

Been with my boyfriend nearly 2 years. He suffers from low self esteem and depression, although doesn’t effect the relationship too much. He treats me pretty nicely. From the outset he always said he ‘wasn’t good enough for me’, ‘ I’ll leave him at some point’ ….I just put it down to low self esteem and thought it was quite sweet after dating rubbish guys with big egos….

anyway fast forward….the relationship has never progressed in a natural way. He has always struggled with this. I still haven’t met any of his family after nearly 2 years. After 8 months i met his kids, they like me and get on with my kids. When he has his kids though he never involves me in his family plans and says it’s ‘his weekend and he has his responsibilities’ I find it hurtful after this length of time we’re not joining families and spending time together. He’s full of excuses. He took a job to be closer to me to spend more time together but he still makes reasons up why he can’t see me.

Ive cried saying I don’t think he’s into me and I’m confused and he says he loves me…but says he has a ‘black hole in his head and no one can get in’ . He says he does want to be with me but he’s a broken man. After 2 years I want to talk about moving in together but he’s very vague about it, says he wants that, but spends a lot of time on his own without me….so don’t know why he says one thing and does another. I would support him 100% with his mental health, we all have our struggles, but he never talks to me about it, so I feel he shuts me out. I do know men struggle to be open and emotionally connected in that respect. I have also offered to go to therapy with him.

So am I being used? Should I wait for him to be ready? Will he ever settle down with me? Don’t really want to wait for years, I’m 39 and don’t want to waste time on a relationship going nowhere, I do love him, although it is starting to get me down now. Sorry for the long post.

OP posts:
CharlotteRose90 · 13/05/2022 10:57

At 2 years yes I’d probably leave sadly. It won’t get better and he’ll forever use excuses . Don’t waste years on him.

pixie5121 · 13/05/2022 12:10

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request.

Whoatealltheminieggs · 13/05/2022 12:12

He was probably a next a year ago. Certainly is now

Gudbrand · 13/05/2022 12:28

From the outset he always said he ‘wasn’t good enough for me’, ‘ I’ll leave him at some point’ ….I just put it down to low self esteem and thought it was quite sweet after dating rubbish guys with big ego

In my experience these "I'm not good enough for you" types are even worse than the big ego guys. It's just more subtle but it's a way of sucking you in. All this "poor me", "I'm not good enough" is designed to make you feel sorry for them and is basically a hook to get you to stay with them.

You are (presumably) not a psychiatrist or psychologist. You cannot "heal" this man's mental health issues. If he genuinely does have mental health issues then he needs to be addressing them himself with help from professionals. There certainly seems to be plenty of talk from him that he does have these issues but is he actually doing anything about it? I'm afraid I'm a bit skeptical about this kind of thing though - it's a very convenient excuse to be honest. Lots of people now use this as an excuse not to do x,y and z. It takes attention away from people who are genuinely unwell and really do need help.

Anyway, whether his problems are genuine or not, this relationship is not working for you. You want more commitment after 2 years than he is prepared to give, whatever his reasons are. The amount of time he wishes to put into the relationship does not match up to your expectations of how a relationship of 2 years works. Therefore you are not compatible and you should move on to find someone who is.

B0ttleBattle758 · 13/05/2022 12:29

I wouldn't waste another minute

You want different things

Watchkeys · 13/05/2022 12:29

There are no 'shoulds', OP. You do it for as long as you want to, and then you stop. Nobody can tell you where that boundary is. If you need advice on where that boundary is, have a think about who's responsible for looking after your feelings. Why don't you know when you've had enough?

Personally, if I knew anybody was making excuses not to see me, I'd save them the trouble, and stop spending time with them.

Zemw · 13/05/2022 12:31

You deserve more OP.

SunshineAndFizz · 13/05/2022 13:02

You want different things. He's not intertwining your lives - he's keeping his family and kids (and generally his time) separate. After 2 years that's not good enough, something's up there.

Whatever the reason, he's not going to give you want you want.

ChiselandBits · 13/05/2022 13:19

See I don't entirely agree with pps. I am 6 years in and neither of us want to blend families, do step parenting etc. Our relationship is great but it is a separate thing to our roles as parents and we are happy to keep it that way. The difference is that we are both happy with that. You are not wrong to want more but neither is he or wanting something else. It may have to be over for that reason, or you can choose to accept the limitations of this relationship. but no-one is being a dick here, its just differences.

Fireflygal · 13/05/2022 13:26

Yes, if after 2 years you don't feel comfortable that the relationship is deepening then I think you should move on.

I agree with previous comment throw self esteem he presented at outset is a "victim" stance designed to invoke empathy.

He either has serious commitment issues or it just suits him to operate in silos.
Neither of those are positive.

Stay if this semi detached relationship suits you but don't stay thinking it will change. I think over time you will get more frustrated and he will pull away more so ultimately a negative cycle. An ultimatum may work but does is that what you really want?

mamabeeboo · 13/05/2022 13:30

OP, men are pretty simple IMO. If they want to be with you they will, if not, then they won't. The excuses are there to buy time, until you realise it isn't going to change. The question is, is this enough for you? Judging by your post, it isn't so the ball is in your court with where you want this to go from here.

HoneyBoo2401 · 13/05/2022 15:16

Thanks for your input everyone. I’ve known for a while something wasn’t right. When I bought it up he always justified the behaviour, but never did anything to change the situation, even though he saw I was hurt by his actions.😕I think he does have commitment issues, but he’s always confused me with his behaviour. One minute he wants a future and sees this ‘as long term’ the next he says he ‘can’t make me any promises’ and he’s ‘a risk’ …..I’m going to have it out with him tonight and if he can’t or won’t commit further I will end it and move on.

OP posts:
Thesefeetaremadeforwalking · 13/05/2022 15:19

OP, the answer to your question is "Yes". If he can't decide that he wants to be with you after 2 years you're on a hiding to nothing.

Sorry x

billy1966 · 13/05/2022 15:35

Don't waste any more time on him.

Rainbowqueeen · 13/05/2022 15:40

Good decision OP although I suspect that if he feels that you might end it, he will promise you the world to get you to stay.

I’d base your decision on the relationship and his actions to date rather than what he says tonight.

Zemw · 13/05/2022 16:29

Good luck OP!

Bouledeneige · 13/05/2022 16:36

Yeah I'd move on. He doesn't sound like he's got a lot to give and your life could be quite miserable if you were with him 24/7.

Strawberrydelight55 · 13/05/2022 16:57

There is a wall up. I've just split from my 19 month relationship because it was just so confusing! It was like we were together but we wasn't! I'd never had a relationship like it. It's like we didn't progress. He was also depressed. But also building back up after a drink problem. The drink problem with a side helping of him liking attention from women and being awful with money lost him his 9 year relationship. Lucky me over here got caught up in the aftermath of it. He was supposedly a changed man. But now I know he was just simply not all in. Not commited.

Your chap doesn't sound anywhere near as difficult as mine..mine was lying alot amongst other things like shouting and being abusive. He couldn't handle conversations about feelings. He had no plan for the future.

You already know the answers. You need to remove all the emotion and look at the facts. Emotion keeps you in the wrong place. Facts help you see. My therapist taught me to do a brain map. I had to write his name in the middle. Then write down facts about him. So it was commitment. Money problems. Avoiding conversations. Etc. Perhaps you could do that.

The thing is when we love someone we don't wanna stop. We are never ready are we? I was never ready for my last day with him. My last night. I miss him terribly in some ways. I'd give anything some hours of the day to be sat with him, head on his lap. Watching a film. But I don't want to be emotionally hurting anymore. I don't want to be fooling myself that there's any chance of it getting better. I want the family unit. Moving in together. He was awaiting a council house (1 bed flat) when we split. He was in a financial mess so was awaiting a council property. I was no where near to living with him. He mentioned going on the list for 2 beds incase me and the kids needed to stop over. That again wasn't my long term goal at all. It wasn't real.

Sorry I've waffled on..you need to think seriously about what can actually change.

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