Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
how do i change?
my friend and i.....well we were suppose to be getting our life back on tract but my disorders had a different idea. i metaphorically stabbed him in the back then twisted it so violently im surprised and 5 leaf clover lucky that hes giving me another chance. but im not quite ready to change my ways. how can i change that? i might not be so lucky next time. i want to change. i want to be perfect for him and a million times better. but something inside me doesnt want to change. how do i get over that?
 
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maru.

maru.

Experienced
Apr 6, 2020
226
my friend and i.....well we were suppose to be getting our life back on tract but my disorders had a different idea. i metaphorically stabbed him in the back then twisted it so violently

If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you do?
You don't need to answer if you don't feel comfortable with it, it's ok.

im surprised and 5 leaf clover lucky that hes giving me another chance. but im not quite ready to change my ways. how can i change that? i might not be so lucky next time. i want to change. i want to be perfect for him and a million times better. but something inside me doesnt want to change. how do i get over that?

I'm happy he's giving you another chance, it's important to take advantage of it.
What is it exactly that you need to change about yourself? What's wrong?
 
Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you do?
You don't need to answer if you don't feel comfortable with it, it's ok.



I'm happy he's giving you another chance, it's important to take advantage of it.
What is it exactly that you need to change about yourself? What's wrong?
he was concerned about a friend i recently made online and requested i stop speaking to him and that (after all my lying in the past) i proved that i told him goodbye. so i sent my friend a message telling him to ignore the next message saying goodbye and that my other friend was being a pain. i then took a screenshot of the goodbye and sent that as proof. however shortly later after letting guilt eat away at my insides i told him the truth and it hurt him as bad as i thought it would.

as far as what hed like me to change, theres a lot of things but i think the biggest one right now is how i flirt with guys.
 
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maru.

maru.

Experienced
Apr 6, 2020
226
he was concerned about a friend i recently made online and requested i stop speaking to him and that (after all my lying in the past) i proved that i told him goodbye. so i sent my friend a message telling him to ignore the next message saying goodbye and that my other friend was being a pain. i then took a screenshot of the goodbye and sent that as proof. however shortly later after letting guilt eat away at my insides i told him the truth and it hurt him as bad as i thought it would.

Well, why is he concerned about this online friend? And is this online friend from SS?

as far as what hed like me to change, theres a lot of things but i think the biggest one right now is how i flirt with guys.

Well, how do you flirt with guys? Are you two dating?

Sorry for the load of questions, i'm doing my best to get a better grasp of the situation, to make sure i don't make dumb assumptions or give bad advice.
 
Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
Well, why is he concerned about this online friend? And is this online friend from SS?



Well, how do you flirt with guys? Are you two dating?

Sorry for the load of questions, i'm doing my best to get a better grasp of the situation, to make sure i don't make dumb assumptions or give bad advice.
thats ok. you cant help without understanding :)
we arent dating but hes my ex and we really care about each other and want to try again but ive always been bad for cheating. as for how i flirt with guys....i didnt even know there was different ways. i mean all we do is talk nothing extremely bad happens.

not from ss lol. he had a perfectly good reason to be concerned. this "Friend" asked for a rather personal picture.

edit: i forgot to add hes 10yrs older then us and you can see my age under my name.
 
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maru.

maru.

Experienced
Apr 6, 2020
226
thats ok. you cant help without understanding :)
we arent dating but hes my ex and we really care about each other and want to try again but ive always been bad for cheating. as for how i flirt with guys....i didnt even know there was different ways. i mean all we do is talk nothing extremely bad happens.

not from ss lol. he had a perfectly good reason to be concerned. this "Friend" asked for a rather personal picture.

Ok, i think i get it, kinda, tell me if i interpreted anything in the wrong way:

You two were dating, aren't anymore, but still like each other very much and want to try and get back together.
However, it's hard to get back together because you have a tendency to flirt with other guys besides him, including this online friend.
So he asked you to not talk to this friend, but you didn't want to choose between cutting ties with one or the other, you want to talk to both of them.
And now you feel guilty for continuing to message this online friend against your friend's wishes, probably because he feels intimidated by this other guy in a way.

Tell me if i'm understanding things right or if i messed anything up, i don't want to say anything dumb or offensive.
btw, this online friend asked for this picture, how did you feel about it? Did you want to take it and send him? Or were you pressured to do so by him?
 
Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
Ok, i think i get it, kinda, tell me if i interpreted anything in the wrong way:

You two were dating, aren't anymore, but still like each other very much and want to try and get back together.
However, it's hard to get back together because you have a tendency to flirt with other guys besides him, including this online friend.
So he asked you to not talk to this friend, but you didn't want to choose between cutting ties with one or the other, you want to talk to both of them.
And now you feel guilty for continuing to message this online friend against your friend's wishes, probably because he feels intimidated by this other guy in a way.

Tell me if i'm understanding things right or if i messed anything up, i don't want to say anything dumb or offensive.
btw, this online friend asked for this picture, how did you feel about it? Did you want to take it and send him? Or were you pressured to do so by him?
correct except his part. hes not intimidated so much as ive been hurt by a lot of different people in a lot of different ways and he doesnt want me getting hurt anymore. i have enough to deal with.
he didnt pressure me. it was a trade to see one of his drawings and i completely and freely had every right to say no and i did so we made another deal. i think my friend was just put off that he would ask for that in general but this online friend is a bit more....free spirited then most. it freaked me out a little bit at first because i wasnt sure how he was going to take no but once i realized it was cool i stopped caring
 
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maru.

maru.

Experienced
Apr 6, 2020
226
correct except his part. hes not intimidated so much as ive been hurt by a lot of different people in a lot of different ways and he doesnt want me getting hurt anymore. i have enough to deal with.
he didnt pressure me. it was a trade to see one of his drawings and i completely and freely had every right to say no and i did so we made another deal. i think my friend was just put off that he would ask for that in general but this online friend is a bit more....free spirited then most. it freaked me out a little bit at first because i wasnt sure how he was going to take no but once i realized it was cool i stopped caring

I understand. Do you think there's any chance that this friend is interested in you, like, romantically and stuff?
 
Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
I understand. Do you think there's any chance that this friend is interested in you, like, romantically and stuff?
the online friend? no im not his type :P (ok yeah that type of flirting)
 
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maru.

maru.

Experienced
Apr 6, 2020
226
Like, here's my two cents, keep in mind that i've never even got close to ever being in a relationship, so i'm kind of dumb in the subject, but i'll try to help in the best way i can:

If you and your ex want to get back together, go for it, it seems like you really want to be with him, and it seems like he wants the same.
Don't cut ties with this friend, if you like him, continue to message him, don't feel guilty about it, if it's just a friendship, your boyfriend (I know he's the ex, but both of you want to get back together, so i'll call him this because i'm lazy and it's more convenient to type tbh) needs to understand that you should be able to talk to whoever you want to talk to, have friendships with whoever you wish.
Still, i'm gonna make some assumptions here, but bear with me...
It's probably not a good idea to do things like sending "pictures" to other guys, flirting with other guys in any way (talking and chilling with friends that happen to be guys it's fine, but flirting is a different thing), etc, unless your boyfriend is ok with the idea of an open relationship, it's important to have this kind of thing be reserved for only the two of you.
 
Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
Like, here's my two cents, keep in mind that i've never even got close to ever being in a relationship, so i'm kind of dumb in the subject, but i'll try to help in the best way i can:

If you and your ex want to get back together, go for it, it seems like you really want to be with him, and it seems like he wants the same.
Don't cut ties with this friend, if you like him, continue to message him, don't feel guilty about it, if it's just a friendship, your boyfriend (I know he's the ex, but both of you want to get back together, so i'll call him this because i'm lazy and it's more convenient to type tbh) needs to understand that you should be able to talk to whoever you want to talk to, have friendships with whoever you wish.
Still, i'm gonna make some assumptions here, but bear with me...
It's probably not a good idea to do things like sending "pictures" to other guys, flirting with other guys in any way (talking and chilling with friends that happen to be guys it's fine, but flirting is a different thing), etc, unless your boyfriend is ok with the idea of an open relationship, it's important to have this kind of thing be reserved for only the two of you.
im cool with that. let me ask him.... we agreed that if we do try again it will be a closed relationship and ill try a lot harder this time.
 
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maru.

maru.

Experienced
Apr 6, 2020
226
im cool with that. let me ask him.... we agreed that if we do try again it will be a closed relationship and ill try a lot harder this time.

I'm glad that it seems to be working out, i hope things go well for both of you :3
I know it can be hard, but i'm happy to see that you're willing to try harder and improve yourself for the sake of you two, if you ever need help or someone to support you in this, i'm sure everyone here in this site wants to help in any way we can.
 
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Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
I'm glad that it seems to be working out, i hope things go well for both of you :3
I know it can be hard, but i'm happy to see that you're willing to try harder and improve yourself for the sake of you two, if you ever need help or someone to support you in this, i'm sure everyone here in this site wants to help in any way we can.
well thats the way its been since i got here at the beginning of the month lol :) thank you
 
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GoodPersonEffed

GoodPersonEffed

Brevity is my middle name, but my name was TL
Jan 11, 2020
6,727
If the situation is as you present it, because your friend is not here to state his side of things, these are my observations and how I interpret them:

Your friend does not accept you as you are nor want you as you are. He wants you to be someone else. You are not that person, and you cannot become who you are not. Your consistent actions reveal what he can predictably expect from you, so if he is hurt by predictable actions, then he is responsible for placing boundaries of protection so that he will not experience predictable hurt. A reasonable boundary would be to place distance between him and you, likely permanent, as you will not be changing the near future, if at all, nor do you have to. If you ever do, I think you will seek it and accomplish it only for your own benefit and not another's. I think also that you will recognize you didn't want him as he was, either.

You are not motivated to change, and there is no judgment on that. It would serve him for you to change, but not you. Your actions serve your wants and seek to serve your needs. They are opposed to his wants and needs. It is reasonable to see that your wants and needs are incompatible with his, and his with yours. What you want from him, he also is not capable of giving -- allowing you to continue to act as you choose. It is your right to do so, but it does not fit within this relationship.

I liken it to an alcoholic who wants to change, and gives power to the other over that, but also resents them for interfering with what they want, and acts on that resentment in hurting and disempowering ways, chipping away at their values and their foundations, and therefore not actually ceding to the power they gave to other. At the same time, they keep their focus distracted from deciding what they want their own values and foundations to be, and pursing building them for themself and no one else. That last part is self-respect, no one else can provide it or build it. When one respects themselves, they demand and expect others to respect them, and don't give them power if they don't. They avoid intimacy with such people. Your friend also does not respect himself, or he would not let you in where he knows you will undermine.

In short, the relationship is one of enmeshment rather than clear boundaries in which each is autonomous and connects with the other as they are, by choice, in mutually respectful and consciously reciprocal ways. Each of you rejects what is offered yet seeks to take it in ways which are not offered, which leads to feeling robbed, harmed, resentful, victimized, and not in control. You each make promises you are incapable of keeping, offering what you cannot deliver. It is a situation of mutual manipulation rather than mutual acceptance and deep respect, with wins that harm the other and constantly draining losses. It is a situation of addiction, on each of your parts, seeking something unobtainable and falsely attaching to that, rather than attaching to and respecting your own selves first, and then, with informed consent, attaching safely and respectfully to one another, negotiating boundaries only after they have been proven to be recognized and respected, and consciously maintaining respect and awareness so that boundaries can be redefined when needed, and made less flexible until each proves to the other than it is safe once again to renegotiate them.

I understand on both parts a fear of losing the other, because the loss of the false anchor reveals there is no anchor at all. This is why trustworthy external support is so important, in order to help one find their own anchors, not dictating to them what their own anchors are or should be. If one-on-one human support is not available, or in conjunction with them, there are books written by humans which can help to develop the needed internal support. I highly recommend the book Boundaries, with the caveat that it is written from a Christian perspective and can at times have a preachy and judgmental tone, but it contains solid information and tools, and is widely used by secular professionals and people seeking help. I found it late in my journey, and I have found it to be more valuable than almost any other resource I encountered prior.

In conjunction with the book In Sheep's Clothing, which is about manipulation tactics, yet written by someone who also displays subtly manipulative behaviors, those two sources combined have proven to me more informative and solidly helpful than anything I have come across in my decades of healing from controling relationships that taught me maladaptive ways of getting my needs and wants met. I no longer get sucked in to others sucking off of me, taking what I do not offer or taking what I offer in ways other than how I offer it, nor get drawn to me feeding off of them. When I do fall into those traps, I am able to come back to awareness and detach much more quickly and painlessly each time, recover well, reaffirm and build even more strongly my values and foundations, and move forward even stronger, capable, adaptable, and aware of myself internally and of what is external. I am more alone, and yet I am more comfortable because I know what I can reasonably expect and don't seek what isn't available. I am connected with myself. I don't share all of this to be preachy, but to say that I understand, I do not judge, and to provide anecdotal evidence that what I suggest can potentially serve you in your own unique life, should you consider my observations, analysis, and suggestions. I have no attachment to you considering, accepting, or pursuing any of them. That is always under your control.

In closing, I'm sharing a poem by an anonymous author that was published in the book The Courage to Heal, and which reflects my own journey that I've shared. I am not always at part V, sometimes I am at part III or IV. The further I am from part I, the less pain and harm I experience, from myself or others, and the more easily I recover from that which I do. I am quite satisfied to have come that far.

I wish you the very best, including your own satisfaction, self-determination, and self-control, but only if you seek them for yourself, and as you define them. It is not about my desires for or definition of you, but those that you choose for yourself.



Autobiography In Five Short Chapters

I​

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.​
I fall in.​
I am lost...I am helpless.​
It isn't my fault.​
It takes forever to find a way out.

II​
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.​
I pretend I don't see it.​
I fall in again.​
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.​
It still takes a long time to get out.

III​

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.​
I see it is there.​
I still fall in...it's a habit.​
My eyes are open.​
I know where I am.​
It is my responsibility.
I get out immediately.

IV​

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.​
I walk around it.​

V​

I walk down another street.







In stanza III, I changed "fault" to "responsibility," as I had it in my notes where I first copied the poem. I prefer responsibility to fault in this context, as it feels empowering rather than condemning. Condemnation keeps me stuck in holes much longer than necessary.
 
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Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ Right now, I'm stressed
Jul 1, 2020
6,896
@GoodPersonEffed thanks for the advice but my friend and I have it all worked out. :)
Let me clarify. I have a docs appointment coming up in a month and he's gonna put up with me until then (lol) and I'm gonna try my best.
 
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Deleted member 17949

Deleted member 17949

Visionary
May 9, 2020
2,238
It's hard to say without knowing much about your situation, but I'd say just be respectful of their feelings and work through your differences together. If they've given you a second chance there's no need to obsess over 'making it right' since you can't undo the past. Just focus on being a better person for the future and build more good memories on top of the bad ones.
 
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