Home→Forums→Relationships→Trust and how to get it back
- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 2 months ago by Nina Sakura.
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September 2, 2016 at 7:41 pm #114075ShamrockyParticipant
i am seeking advice..
Last week I looked through my boyfriends phone and found messages to another girl about a fight that we had had that day. The messages were hurtful (he told this friend that he considered breaking up with me, and he feels sorry for me, that if he didn’t stay with me, he’s not sure who else would love me, amongst other things). We have fought before, ~a year ago, about him messaging other girls after a disagreement that we had had. when i confronted him about the messages this time, he said i was focusing on the negative of what he had written. His reason for messaging this other girl was to vent his frustration and also to try to find a way to understand me better (after speaking to this friend he then bought a book about “Highly Sensitive People”, which he claims that I am, and through buying this book it was his way of trying to understand me and love me better).
I want to stop looking through his phone, but it seems when i do, i find something that hurts me. (My previous relationship also ended because of what i found on his phone).
I want to trust that he wont keep speaking to these girls about our arguments. But i also understand that he needs to vent to someone.
I thought we were in a very good place in our relationship, and am feeling hurt that he would consider breaking up with me after a small fight.
how do i move forward? How can i trust him not to keep seeking out these girls for support? Or how do i become comfortable with the idea of him going to these girls (friends) for support?
September 2, 2016 at 7:50 pm #114076ShamrockyParticipantI asked him about the “if he didnt stay with me hes not sure who else would love me” message, and he said i am taking it negatively. What he meant was that he’s trying so hard to love me, (and by buying a book its his way of showing that he wants to understand and love me better), that he doesn’t think anyone else would go to that extent to try and understand me and love me as much as he does..
September 2, 2016 at 8:13 pm #114077AnonymousGuestDear shamrocky:
What was the fight about, the fight on the day he texted the other girl?
And who is the other girl: what is his relationship with her? Do you know her/ associate with her?
anita
September 4, 2016 at 10:16 pm #114252ahling2309ParticipantHi ShamRocky,
the thing I’ve learnt with checking out other’s phone without their consent will usually lead us to unexpected (and often, disappointing finds). As the saying goes ‘if you dig for sh.. you will find sh..’
While understandably, it’ll be upsetting to see those messages, especially if it’s to another girl, but part of me tells me that if I were in his shoes, I’d go to my good guy friend for support and to rant too, since men will probably more or less think along the same lines and he could probably offer me some much needed advice at the same time, allowing me to rant.
1) ask yourself, do you trust what your boyfriend has told you? (is your gut feeling telling you otherwise?), are his actions consistent with him loving you? (supportive loving actions).
2) why did he say those words he said?, are there any issues on which you need to work on yourself? Sometimes loved ones might not tell us (they might not know how to bring it up) that we are over bearing or negative etc etc, and it may seemingly be ‘good’ until otherwise. We have to constantly vet our actions and words.
3) when the mood and timing is right, tell him gently that you’d prefer him not to talk with the girls when he needs to vent, and asks him how he thinks about it. Watch the tone and words used.
4) It is best if the checking stops. Honestly, if he is up to anything, there will be no clues left behind for you to uncover (we are all clever human beings), if he is not up to anything, checking either wastes your time or create issues that arent there in the first place.
Best of luck to you.
September 5, 2016 at 8:56 am #114292Nina SakuraParticipantDear Shamrocky,
Please make it clear to your boyfriend gently but firmly that you don’t like him discussing personal details about your relationship. Ask him how he would feel if he found you complaining about their relationship with your male friends? Suggest something like you would prefer he would directly talk to you first or keep a journal (for example Penzu) instead. Suggest he tries websites like 7cups.com if he needs to anonymously vent about relationship issues. Over time though, I highly recommend you stop checking the phone or other portals if any. He needs to do his bit and so do you for the trust to happen in the relationship.
Regards,
Nina -
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