Dear Dafne,

I’m so glad to hear from you again! I’m happy you had a nice time at the retreat. You stayed there for quite a while! And planning to go back for an even longer stay, right?

Let me first comment on the situation with the man: his first reaction was not to express empathy and concern for you, but he accused you or getting lost and wanting anything from him (He told me that I live nearby so I should know where to go.) He didn’t like you asked for his help.

And then, even worse, he refused to wait for you, justifying it with being busy with his projects. Which if I understood well, he has been working on for years now, and nothing even panned out. So I guess one more Saturday afternoon wouldn’t make a difference. That was clearly just an excuse.

And he didn’t ask if you came home safely. Even if you’d had an argument and you said you didn’t want to meet him again, a caring person would still inquire if you arrived home safely, because it wasn’t a completely danger-free situation. But his pride was stronger, I guess, and he just didn’t care anymore.

This all shows his character, Dafne. He’s not a good, caring man, but a self-centered, quick-tempered, immature man, who isn’t able (or willing) to be there for you in challenging situations. He not only checked out, but blamed you for what happened. He expressed no empathy for you.

I suggest you don’t try to apologize or reach out to him, because he is the one who failed you. You didn’t fail him.

It can happen to anyone to make a mistake, such as getting lost on the motorway. But a decent person will have understanding and will try to help, rather than blaming you and turning their back on you. So no, Dafne, he’s not a good man.

The retreat was quite helpful, but I feel the old, fearful patterns are coming back and stealing the peace I felt over there…

I’m sorry that about that 🙁 Are those patterns related to returning to living with your mother? If I understood well, your mother was accompanying you to the meeting with this man (your ex-boyfriend) in a nearby city, right?

I must admit, I wasn’t happy to hear this, even though in this particular case, it was good that she was with you because she was supportive and didn’t panic when you two got lost. But she has been accompanying you to dates with men before, right? Even with this guy too.

I’ve found you talk about it in a post on February 6th this year. You and your mother met with him before, in a restaurant, and she was inquiring about his job and his projects. His answers were all vague, he didn’t want to give any details or deadlines. And then, when she probed a bit more and asked whether he could change careers, he got really upset, accused both of you of having no faith in him, and asked for a pause in the relationship until the project gets finalized.

Your mother was helpful in this particular situation too, because she wasn’t afraid to probe and ask him questions, and basically uncover that he might be a scammer, that his big plans and “projects” might all be just empty talk. So she was helpful in spotting potential cheaters and scammers.

However, her overall role in your life – where she is trying to control you and your life choices, and keeping you close to her via emotional blackmail and guilt-tripping – hasn’t been an overly positive one. You did want to get away from her and her influence.

And so I must admit it saddened me a little when you said that the old patterns of fear and insecurity are creeping in, and to realize that maybe this has to do with your mother still having a central role in your life, and you still relying on her to tell you whether a guy is good for you or not.

Please, dear Dafne, don’t take this as judgment of you. I have nothing but compassion for you. And I want you to thrive and be happy. That’s why I’m mentioning the “big picture” again: finding your True Self first, stepping into your True Self, before attempting to find a romantic partner.

Because if you respect yourself, you’ll attract guys who respect you. But if you have low self-esteem, you’ll be more easily manipulated by men who want to take advantage of you.

And here’s the thing: you don’t need your mother to protect you from manipulative men. What you need is to step into your True Self. Because when we’re in touch with our true self, we’ll have the wisdom to spot dishonest, manipulative men. We won’t fall for their BS.

Finding you true self – independent from your mother – is your ticket to finding good guys. You don’t need her, you need YOU. The real you.

I hope this makes sense, Dafne. I hope you can get more and more in touch with your inner voice, and that this retreat gave you a chance for that. Because you were allowed to just “be”, without the constant chatter, criticism and demands of your mother:

There was no comparison, no criticism, no gossip, no chaos, only simple human beings and Universe.

If you go to a similar retreat again, please use the supportive environment there to get in touch with your inner voice. Feel the love for yourself, hold yourself tenderly. Be gentle with yourself, like you would with a puppy who needs your love and care. Create an inner environment of love and acceptance for yourself. That’s how you can connect to your True Self.

I hope this wasn’t too overwhelming, Dafne. I hope you can get to a place of more confidence in yourself. You are a wonderful, talented woman, and you definitely deserve it!

Dear Tee and Anita,

Happy Sunday!

Thank you so much to both of you for such beautiful, considerate messages and thoughtful answers in such a short time 💕

I am still working on my reply to you, so I will be back by the end of the day. I think I will reply to both of you separately as it might be easier for you to read and have more clarity.

For now, I hug you both and wish you a wonderful day 🤗
Warm greetings
Dafne

Thank you dear Anita!
Talk to you very soon 🤗

Big hug
Dafne

Dear Tee,

I hope you’re having a peaceful day and that your health continues to improve. I’m so happy to know that you’re here with us. Thank you again for your presence and for sharing this journey with me.

Did you try any holistic methods to support your health while you were away? I’ve learned that there are retreats made for different health needs, and they can help with anxiety and other health challenges. Also for couples.

When we last talked, I was torn and had no idea what to do with myself and all those negative emotions. The pressure was enormous, and my health started to suffer even more. That was the time when the new man appeared in my life, and I became even more confused by his identity and what he does in life.

Things started to pile up, and I just felt like escaping somewhere immediately, despite the fear.

So, the retreat I’m referring to is rather more of an ascetic center. It reflects a different atmosphere – one of simplicity, discipline, and focus. It was rough and basic, but authentic at the same time. I want to move on to the next stage for a much longer time, but I’m not sure if I could do it without missing the connection, and also without feeling a sense of guilt.

To answer your question regarding the patterns, they appeared to be triggered by a few different factors. The anxiety hit me stronger when I came back. It might be a mixture of being in an emotionally unstable environment, living in the past, meeting that con artist again, and a dangerous next-door neighbor.

I believe that I didn’t mention that in my past post that for a long time we’ve had troubles with a mean, and as it recently turns out, a dangerous neighbor. It is a very bitter and hateful person towards animals and all people in general. Due to some law regulations in state laws, she can’t be evicted, despite being reported to the police before. This neighbour’s actions recently went beyond my belief – I still can’t wrap my head around it.

Recently, she threw a bucket of dangerous chemicals on us and our little dog as he did a little pipi on our balcony (not hers). Luckily, I was able to wash the poor thing off before it was too late. I was shaken for days and still am. She could easily harm me or others as she told us to go to the balcony on purpose. Unfortunately, many of my clothes, flowers, and other property were irreversibly damaged. It took us days to clean, wash, and get rid of the bad odor. She, of course, denied it all and blamed another neighbor. Can you believe that?

That neighbor lives alone and seems to exist only to stalk people, disturb them, criticize them, knock on their doors, and make them feel anxious. Other neighbors told me that they also feel like she takes pleasure in other people’s suffering, laughing when causing harm, and they are unable to defend themselves as they are afraid for their kids and family. Many have left already, and new neighbors come and go.

That incident triggered severe anxiety, we still can’t sleep normally, and constantly feeling unsafe. So yes, Tee, it added an unbearable tension at home too. The fear that she might harm us is always present, and the police can’t do much.

On top of that, I feel caught in my mother’s swings between occasional moments of kindness, good advice, and care, and then harsh judgment and criticism. It might come from the fear of getting older and her inability to change the place she lives in right now. Life was hard for her, too, and she did not really enjoy it.

My father, on the other hand, lived to the fullest and did not care about anyone but himself. He has not contacted me since last year. The last time we spoke was when I called him and he told me about his health problems and that it is ok for children not to have it easy in life. Even if legally he told me I am entitled to some of his place (shared with his ex-wife?? or still now wife? and her adult child) I am not interested and I can’t trust him either.

Regarding my mother, I am not entirely without blame, either, because whenever I hear her criticism, I find myself trying to protect myself by reminding her own bad choices. But most of the time, I’m trying to stay silent, just like during my retreat.

Then I reminded her that it was she who made the wrong choice for her life partner and also gave the piece of land to my abusive uncle, her brother. I can’t understand that till now. Maybe she wanted to forget that place, and her brother was manipulating her into signing the documents for his own gain? Maybe she was weak just like me right now? Anyways, those past hurts come up in our conversations, and it spoils the mood completely.

What I’ve noticed is that if I tell her that I need space and quiet, she keeps talking and telling me about her old age and that I’m going to be alone…and it is really scaring me. And when I shut down, she needs that connection, and I don’t, as I get very overwhelmed and my health issues worsen. How to break that pattern?

Also, seeing that man at the event gave me hope that something has changed, and it is a sign from Heaven that we met that day. I asked him why he had not contacted me sooner, and he said that it was because he felt that he could not give me what I deserved. His friends said that he is a good man and cares about me. But can’t give me what I want. This added to my confusion about him and made me feel sorry for him. Is it possible that all three friends are wrong about him? Or were they just in it together? I thought that he felt unsuccessful and less worthy, and just gave up on us. Maybe his pride did not let him be entirely honest? This was not a good excuse either. But all of this covered my judgment and made me give him another chance.

And yes, Tee, she has accompanied me before to make sure I’m safe. Those men were not known to us or our family, so I did not mind it. Also, in our culture, parents can assist till things get serious. Once there is trust, we do not need that anymore. But all those men seemed to be bad news.

I completely agree with you regarding that man, and I could not find the right word for him, but you did. Scammer is spot on! He was buying more of my time, pretending to be someone else.

I really appreciate that you were able to see both sides of the coin – the way you described the situation, noticing some positive aspects of my mom’s behavior, as well as some things that might be unusual, perhaps due to cultural differences and closer influence of a parent, and maybe controlling tendencies with a bit of selfish intentions. It could be both. I truly value how openly and thoughtfully you approached it.

Thank you for your compassion, Tee, and for seeing my experiences with that man from all different angles. I can now see clearly what kind of man he is. That inner voice told me to say the right thing at the right time. It was indeed the voice of my True Self. You’re right that finding my true self and cultivating it is the next healthy step I could take before finding romantic love. I feel like most men are not interested or afraid to start with friendship. I will select those who are. I will not open up too much to them and just say that I’m focusing right now on my professional projects and only have time for friendships at the moment. What do you think, Tee? Would you say something else?

Your final, gentle words made me feel so warm inside and gave me a little bit more courage to try again.
Thank you for your guidance and help in navigating difficult situations. I am deeply grateful for your wisdom, patience, and care.

I hope to hear from you soon, Tee. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I truly value your perspective.

Have a beautiful afternoon,

With kindness, gratitude, and affection
Dafne

Dear Anita,
I look forward to reading your message, but please take your time.

Big hug back🤗
Dafne

Dear Dafne,

thank you for explaining your current circumstances a bit more. I’m so sorry about the mean neighbor of yours. How come the authorities can’t do anything about it? Because if she is causing damage to animals and property, there has to be a way to sanction her, specially since she has a history of harassing neighbors. Unless the police is corrupt there, or something like that?

I’ve been thinking about your situation, and went back to read some of your correspondence with Anita earlier this year. What stood out is that with Anita’s help, you’ve come to the conclusion that this man isn’t really good for you, that he might have some ulterior motives and might even be expecting you to invest your own money into a house he would buy, since he has no money, works only occasionally for a friend of his, and lives in a tiny apartment.

He was manipulative, e.g. he was telling you to choose a restaurant you’d like, and then he’d say he cannot take you there (I guess because it’s expensive?). Also, he was sending you real estate ads and would ask you which house you’d like, only to later say that he cannot afford it and has no money for mortgage.

So it seems he saw you primarily as someone to help him solve his financial troubles – as a sponsor of sorts. I think that was his main goal, not love and a true, loving relationship.

And he was using the story about his “projects” as a bait, to convince you that some day he’ll be rich and will be able to take care of you and your potential children (since he knew that’s what you want from a man). So he presented himself as a “businessman”, when in reality, that was all a scam to lure you into getting attached to him and giving him money.

When you were discussing this with Anita, in February this year, this became obvious to you, or at least rationally you understood that he is a scammer. But emotionally, you couldn’t let him go. He could easily manipulate you by telling you that he’s sick, and you felt sorry for him. You didn’t want to break up with him while he was feeling “unwell” and didn’t want hurt his feelings (which he was regularly accusing you of). This is what you said back then:

Now I feel guilty that I offend him, hurt his feelings and leave him in the difficult time. He told me about his health issues. I feel sorry for him…

So he was guilt-tripping you regularly, pitying himself, telling you fake stories about his non-existing projects. And when you tried to get clarification, he would accuse you of not being supportive, not having faith in him etc. So it was a whole package of lies and manipulation – a spider web as you and Anita called it – which you got caught into, because he made you feel guilty.

In fact, I think there are more reasons why you couldn’t let go of him. You talked about them in February this year:

I grew up in household where I could not speak up my mind without being punished one way or the other. Every day I had a deep fear of consequences and being rejected by the only people I care about.

Now I feel guilty that I offend him, hurt his feelings and leave him in the difficult time. He told me about his health issues. I feel sorry for him…

And I am afraid that I won’t get another chance to find another friend and somehow also escape my reality at home. I live in a remote place and
my options are limited.

So, I think the reasons you couldn’t let him go were: 1) feeling guilty about hurting him (and being labeled as a bad person, I suppose), 2) fearing that you would be rejected if you speak openly about your needs and the things that bother you, 3) hoping that he would be your ticket to escape the abusive environment at home, 4) believing that you cannot leave home except via marriage.

Would you agree that the above is true?

If so, these fears and false beliefs all stem from your childhood and what you were conditioned to believe about yourself. You were taught that you don’t have the right to any needs, that you were selfish for having needs and wants, that you need to sacrifice yourself and serve others, even if it’s at your own expense, that you don’t know what’s good for you and that others (in particular, your mother) know better what’s good for you, etc etc.

In short, you were taught to shrink and deny yourself, so to please people who were basically impossible to please (your parents).

And now, you would need to reprogram that old script. You would need to heal your inner child and learn to love yourself. You’d need to stop feeling guilty for having legitimate needs and not wanting to sacrifice yourself for selfish people (be it your mother, father, or a manipulative, selfish partner).

What I’ve noticed is that if I tell her that I need space and quiet, she keeps talking and telling me about her old age and that I’m going to be alone…and it is really scaring me. And when I shut down, she needs that connection, and I don’t, as I get very overwhelmed and my health issues worsen. How to break that pattern?

She doesn’t let you have your space and time. I think she wants you to be at her disposal 24/7, so she can dump her negativity on you, complain about her difficult life, criticize you for your supposed weaknesses, etc. By doing that, she is keeping you under her psychological control, and is not allowing you to spread your wings. She is holding you down.

I’m afraid she doesn’t want true happiness for you. Instead, she wants you to remain in her control, and she’s using criticism, guilt-tripping and self-pitying to keep it that way.

Dear Dafne, you’d need to break free from that. You’d need to realize that you have the right to your own space, time, needs, wants, your own life. And you don’t need to remain her property for the rest of your life. In order to do that, you’d need to do some healing, e.g. inner child healing, which for me personally gave the best results.

I can tell you more about it, if you’re interested. Have to rush now, but hope to talk to you later.

Lots of love! <3

Dear Tee,

Thank you for taking the time to walk me through that again and for gently reminding me of things I had either forgotten – or perhaps buried deep inside, trying to push them away.

‘ Thank you for explaining your current circumstances a bit more. I’m so sorry about the mean neighbor of yours. How come the authorities can’t do anything about it? Because if she is causing damage to animals and property, there has to be a way to sanction her, especially since she has a history of harassing neighbors. Unless the police are corrupt there, or something like that? ‘

Thank you, Tee. Yes, it is very frustrating – almost unbearable. The official procedure is already in motion; she has received an official notification. The problem is that she denies it, and the only proof is the damage. However, because she is a legal owner of the place, there isn’t much that can be done against her. Unless there is death or significant physical harm, the authorities cannot arrest her. There has to be a video or a recording, so she must be caught red-handed. We installed CCTV. Is there anything else we can do? Are there any other institutions that could help to stop her? Anita suggested moving out, but the housing situation in the area is so hard, and we have to wait for a suitable place for a long time. And most of those places do not accept a dog anyway. We feel stuck and helpless.

” He was manipulative, e.g. he was telling you to choose a restaurant you’d like, and then he’d say he cannot take you there (I guess because it’s expensive?). Also, he was sending you real estate ads and would ask you which house you’d like, only to later say that he cannot afford it and has no money for mortgage. So it seems he saw you primarily as someone to help him solve his financial troubles – as a sponsor of sorts. I think that was his main goal, not love and a true, loving relationship. And he was using the story about his “projects” as a bait, to convince you that some day he’ll be rich and will be able to take care of you and your potential children (since he knew that’s what you want from a man). So he presented himself as a “businessman”, when in reality, that was all a scam to lure you into getting attached to him and giving him money.”

He never asked me for money, so I was not sure if he planned to exploit me financially or just wanted me to pay my half and live with him as modern couples do (but very modestly). The second possibility was most likely, as when we met, he said he was living with a woman a long time ago, and misses the presence of being with someone. He already failed at that with another woman in the past. For some reason (that he did not want to discuss), she broke up with him and chose a more successful man to marry. Not sure if only money was the issue or rather his character.

Maybe he planned to wait till we move in together and then start his demands. Or maybe he never planned on marrying that woman and wasted her time. It is just my speculation.

And it is not like those projects did not exist at all. They did, but without sponsors and contracts signed, it was just a dream. I’ve met some people at the event who knew him, and some projects were known to the cultural center, but never went very far or progressed. He kept spinning illusions and avoided honestly acknowledging the uncertainty of the outcome. But as you said, emotionally, I could not let go because I felt sorry for him and did not want to leave him, only because of money (especially when facing some health issues). Somehow, I found an excuse for every one of his shortcomings and what he did.

I knew about his health problems, but only recently found out that the doctors suspected that he had cancer. He told me that all is under control, but he is afraid that he may end up like his father (apparently, that’s how he lost him). So I suspect that he just wants an easy and enjoyable life right now without working too much. And me pushing him to find a stable job is, you know, inconvenient for him. He also felt too old to start a new work or change qualifications.

” So, I think the reasons you couldn’t let him go were: 1) feeling guilty about hurting him (and being labeled as a bad person, I suppose), 2) fearing that you would be rejected if you speak openly about your needs and the things that bother you, 3) hoping that he would be your ticket to escape the abusive environment at home, 4) believing that you cannot leave home except via marriage.
Would you agree that the above is true? ”

I would agree with most of what you’ve said, Tee. As for numbers 3 and 4, it could be true to some extent, but at the same time, I was afraid that it might be another trap. That, as Anita said, I could get caught in a spider web of another spider and all that legally, without an easy way out once he drops his mask. So yes, I wanted to escape, but he was too nice, too agreeable to be good to be true. I did not see him getting worried or upset for many months of meetings. So it did not feel real. I thought that it was due to my early trauma that I was afraid of safety, and when men get too nice, too predictable, it doesn’t feel normal or familiar. I’m talking about his behavior before his mask started to slip. Do you see that, Tee?

Tee, do you remember when Anita and I discussed the potential proposal in February? So now, when we met at the event, he told me a bit more about his intentions. He stated that in February, he wanted to buy me a simple jewelry or a simple engagement ring, and after that, expected me to move in together and maybe have a baby! He did not tell me this before. For him engagement ring did not mean setting the wedding date and getting married soon after. So I guess this time, he got tired of pretending and told me more than he eventually planned. Isn’t it?

” In short, you were taught to shrink and deny yourself, so as to please people who were basically impossible to please (your parents).
You would need to heal your inner child and learn to love yourself. You’d need to stop feeling guilty for having legitimate needs and not wanting to sacrifice yourself for selfish people (be it your mother, father, or a manipulative, selfish partner). I can tell you more about it, if you’re interested. Have to rush now, but hope to talk to you later.”

Yes, I was just someone there to please others, and my basic needs were neglected. Tee, can you help me please to reprogram that old script? And yes, please tell me more about that inner child. I’ve checked some nice videos you suggested in the past, but I did not know how to practically apply them in certain situations. Especially when emotions take over the logic.

Thank you for always taking the time to answer my questions, even when they might seem small or repetitive.

I know I don’t want to overwhelm you with more questions, but I hope I can still count on your guidance whenever you can.

Wishing you a wonderful day, wrapped in warmth & big hugs 😊

Take care xx
Dafne