So my gf (21) and I (22m) have been together for nearly 7 months now. To keep it short, her previous relationship was traumatic for her and her ex did a lot of stuff to hurt her. As our relationship progresses, she becomes more and more triggered about her past and becomes more and more withdrawn and guarded. I really try to accommodate for her in any way I can. First it was a sex/nudity issue, she didn’t always feel comfortable being intimate with me like that. That was perfectly fine, I could handle that and care for her. But now, she’s also asking me to not hug, kiss, cuddle, hold hands with, touch, give compliments, call her pet names like babe/my love/baby, or even sleep in the same bed as her. We both have no idea how long her feeing triggered about this will last. It could be a few hours, days, or week at a time. I know this is something she needs to see me reciprocate in order for her to build the feeing safety and trust in a relationship again. I know it’s not my job to heal her, but I want to be there for her so bad. This girl is my first love and I don’t want to give her up. I really want to be the one who’s there for her for this, but I don’t know if I can or if anyone even could. I can understand maybe this lasting a few hours or a day but if it lasts for days on end? Is that really a fair request of me? It doesn’t even feel like a relationship at that point. All I want to do is be there for her but this is a big ask of someone who is naturally affectionate and feels connected in a relationship with affection. Is this a fair request of any partner? Also to clarify, if she asks me not to do these things I won’t. I’m not going to cross her boundaries, but I wonder if it’s fair to me for her to be in this relationship if she can’t handle what a relationship is. It’s leaving me feeling neglected with my own needs for affection in a relationship, especially physical touch. It’s like I can’t show or receive any sort of love language when she gets like this.

1 comment
  1. Your needs for sex, intimacy on all levels, and affection are valid and important. Her needs are not the only thing that matter. That’s not a relationship, that’s some unhealthy dependency. It’s also not your responsibility, nor is it even possible, to cure her of her trauma and/or mental health problems. She needs to be active in seeking help for these issues and if she’s not willing to do that, than it’s absolutely not fair to keep you trapped in a loveless relationship.

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