My Own Learning About Relationship Problems
The last three years have been filled with hurt. My husband, Randy, left me in October of 2013. I’m still not sure why. They guy that I moved to Palm Springs to be with (I had only known him over the Internet for 4 months...how stupid was that???), decided that he didn’t want to be emotionally available or monogamous. Then there was WF. We’ll talk about him more later. Then, the most recent was Jerry. That lasted all of 21 days and it ended because he said that I was, “too needy”. Have I learned anything from my counselor and from my 12-step program? You bet I have!
I took the Inventory of Addictive Thoughts and Behaviors (IATB) and was kind of horrified at what I discovered. The inventory is based on 28 questions about how I reacted to certain relationship circumstances, rated on a scale of 1-4, with one being the most needy. It was broken up into three sections: “Reactions,” “Involvement,” and “Expectations”. I took the inventory and then averaged my scores for each of the three areas. Here are my results:
REACTIONS: (how needy my reactions are to my intended) 1.5 OMG!!!
INVOLVEMENT: (my need for involvement with my intended) 2.2
EXPECTATIONS: (my level of expectations of my intended) 2.0
I never knew how really needy I was, but this smacked me in the face. I just thought that when two people loved each other that they would naturally expect and want things from each other. I’ve learned better now.
I now see that my behavior is manipulative. I hate that! When beginning a dating relationship, I will drop hints or leave texts or notes, hoping to get just the exact response that I want and need. When I get it, things seems fine but when I don’t get it? I go all out and push even harder and the cycle of getting together, toughing it out, and breaking up (usually because the other guy can’t take it) goes around and around.
Take WF, for example. He tells me that he used to be very emotional and was ruled by his heart but somewhere along the line, he had to make the change to being more logical. In my opinion, he went too far, but that is just my opinion.
I tried my best to get him to relate to me the way I WANTED HIM TO...from his heart and not from his brain. It didn’t work. It was never going to work. He was and IS HIM and not only could I not change him, I shouldn’t WANT to change him. I need to accept these men in my life for who they are and get rid of those expectations and accept who they really are.If I can’t live with who they really are, then the relationship wasn’t meant to be.
My goal now is to be aware of my behavior. More more slowly. Don’t jump in so damn quickly. Be very slow with the the “I love you’s” and with giving deeply personal information too quickly. And, finally, accept the person for who he is and if he isn’t that person that fits my needs, move on. Don’t try to change him.