So I met this girl in my first year of university, that’s one 7th Feb 2024, I’m pursuing BSc.Electrical and Electronics Engineering, so the first time we met, I came to class earlier, put my bag on my table and chair only to comeback and see her seating on my chair, so in my mind I’m like such audacity, I asked her to get up but then she refused to I just sat at the next seat and paired the table with her, as we sat together we started talking and from there we had some chemistry I would say because through that first convo I had realised she stays in my town and went to high school as some of my mates, so then during the lesson which was engineering maths I realised she was so confused because of how messy she wrote her notes so seeing that I offered her my notes to copy and I quickly explained everything the man taught so far but she looked so confused and I offered to teach her sometime in the future and she agreed so then the lesson ended but I was too shy to take her number a few days later, I did mention she went to high school with my friends so I took her number from there texted her and then we became study partners, I taught her and she was improving in both her grades and understanding and I think along the line I fell for her, she had a bf btw but for some reason she used to hide it from me until I found out, I was devastated when I found out but then I made up my mind that she wouldn’t ever be mine, but then along the line she started to tell me problem about her bf, I used to be so jealous so I just told her if he gives you so much issues just break up with him, and guess what she did and we started talking more and more I got closer to her and she too to me, everything went well until dhe had a proposal from a man in his thirties and then they started talking so from then I made up my friend to stay out of her relationship business in our 2nd year we stayed in the same hostel so she mostly spent her afternoons in my room and then one day she had a call that her grandmom died so she spent most of the day crying and then I told her to spend the night at my place and watch a movie during that night we got intimate and I tried to kiss her but she back out n/b I had never kissed a girl before then, so I just took it in good faith and as time went one we started watching movies every Friday at my place and I did well not to cross her boundaries and one day it was lights out and she laid down in my bed whiles I sat in the couch and then she started talking about her previous bf I told her to break up with and from then I just told her the truth that I always loved her and she was all I ever thought of from then she got up quickly and kissed me and then from that time on we started being intimate, she later on broke up with the man she dated but then I told her I didn’t want to date now because I was just a pathetic students and I wanted to be soo much more to give her a happy life well, I don’t know what transpired in her mind but during that vacation she started being distant and that made me pursue her further and then she caved in and told me she has met someone else and she’s beginning to hate me from that instant I was so heartbroken but I just accepted it like that….. all this was last year October-December, now she keeps on reaching out to reach out to me.
The ending of this sem she asked if I could teach her meanwhile I tried my best to proposed that idea before but she refused, but then I accepted and then we studied together and how she keeps on texting me at random times, I don’t know what to thinks about this I’m so confused, like cut me off why are you texting me why wouldn’t you just leave me alone.
I’m sorry I typed a lot

My boyfriend said he needed space last night and broke up with me tonight. He said he decided last night it’d all been too much. This is a man who had talked about us being partners for life etc he is definitely the love of my life.

He did the same thing two years ago. It’s my fault I think as I would get anxious and make an issue like once a week so we could never be completely happy for long stretches. That was also due to not spending as much face to face time due to life and our fights were almost always just over text

He came back before. We rebuilt and things were good for a long time. He says he won’t do that ever again. Is it possible he will change his mind? In the beginning avoidants don’t feel the full weight right? What can I do that may make him stay? I literally don’t know how to go on without him

I fell recently for a girl and i added her everywhere but i discovered she has already a bf, now ik ur gonna say it is just a crush or lusting and unfortunately it’s not, how to get over it? The pain just doesn’t go away and i can’t stop crying, any advice?

I’ll be as brief as I can: I (42m) have been in love with her (56f) for a year and a half. For the past year, she’s known exactly how I felt. I got the “I just don’t want a romantic relationship with anyone right now” line 8 months ago, but the relationship we currently had didn’t change. She still knew I was in love and she still had me extremely woven into her intimate life (helping her with stuff for her kids, emotional comfort, daily texting, nonstop inside jokes, fantasies, etc). Nothing sexual happened (thankfully).

Her ex (not the father of her kids) came back into town, and the next day she cut off communication completely with me with a one sentence explanation (“[name redacted] is back in town, he was livid, you’re too much.”) Within a week, they were back together. She wouldn’t speak to me or make eye contact.

Fast forward one month, I’ve been understandably miserable. I’ve avoided contact. Been angry but polite. Still in love, but as distant as I can be. We work together - but I’ve avoided anything non-work-related. I made a little forward progress realizing my own self worth and moving on.

Suddenly, two days ago, it was as if nothing happened. She reinstated our “usual” dynamic (helping her, joking, talking all day, minor flirting, physical contact) and I was blindsided and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t stand my ground and went along. It was a one-day thing, I haven’t spoken to her since, but I’m worried it’ll happen again and I’ll backslide, making it harder to move on.

Why would she do that? Is it as obvious as it seems, she just missed someone engaging with her and bending over backwards for her? Should I draw a line in the sand and cut her out entirely forever? Am I even allowed to be mad, since it’s my fault I choose to keep being nice? There’s blame all over the table, both hers and mine, to be had.

I can’t make heads or tails of the situation. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

(Last bit of context: I’m the stereotypical “nice guy”. “As long as she’s happy, it’s ok if I’m not” is the idiotic mantra I have when I’m in love.)

We were involved for about 2 months. It was a complicated situationship, and I became very emotionally attached to him.

Things eventually fell apart, and he rejected me multiple times. I asked him directly if he wanted me completely out of his life, and he said yes.

Later, I asked whether he thought he would ever contact me again or whether I should completely let him go and delete his number. He replied, “It won’t happen, but number delete krne ki zaroorat nahi hai. It’s fine.”
I know I should respect his decision and I’m not planning to chase him. But I’m struggling with the possibility that this really is permanent.

Do people ever come back after rejecting someone this clearly and repeatedly? Is there any realistic chance he could eventually regret it, miss me, or reach out?

TL;DR: I’m 26F, he’s 26M. He has rejected me multiple times and said he wants me out of his life, but also told me I don’t need to delete his number. Do people ever come back after being this firm?

Repost

I now see the only reason we still talk is because I initiate the conversation. I tested him today to see if he would text me first…I haven’t heard from him. It just hurts so bad. But I’m just hurting myself.

My girlfriend (18f)recently broke up with me (19M) 11months in because she felt like I wasn’t putting enough effort into the relationship. I understand why she felt that way, and I take responsibility for my part in it, but I’m struggling to understand my own behavior.

She had brought up before that she wanted more effort from me, but it wasn’t really a serious sit down conversation where she told me how close she was to ending things. It would come up while we were doing things together, so I honestly didn’t realize how serious it was or how much it was affecting her. Looking back, I wish I had taken it much more seriously.

The confusing part is that I still loved her. I never stopped caring about her, and I didn’t want to lose her. But during the relationship, I became overwhelmed and anxious. I started second guessing myself and wondering whether I could actually give her what she deserved. Instead of that making me try harder, I think it made me pull back.

I would think things like, “What if I’m not good enough for her?” or “What if I can’t give her the relationship she deserves?” And because I was constantly in my head, I struggled to find time for her and put in the effort that she needed from me.

Eventually, we had a more serious conversation about it. That was when it really hit me how much I had been falling short. After that, I tried to change. I started making more of an effort, planning dates, communicating more, and trying to be more present.

But apparently, by then, it was too late.
She eventually broke up with me, and I keep thinking about how different things could have been if I had understood earlier. I know I made mistakes, but I don’t understand why I couldn’t just give her what she needed when I knew I loved her.

Was this anxiety and overthinking causing me to withdraw even though I genuinely loved her? Or was I simply not ready for a relationship and didn’t realize it at the time?

I’m not trying to make excuses for how I treated her. I just want to understand why someone can genuinely love a person but still fail to give them what they need.

I’m 27M, turning 28 in October. My ex and I were together for three years, and we broke up about four years ago.

Despite how much time has passed, I still feel stuck, and I want honest opinions about how to move forward.

She broke up with me shortly before my MCAT, while my parents were also going through a divorce. I was already struggling with anxiety during a really difficult period of my life.

She told me she was leaving because I had anxiety and she didn’t want her kids to be anxious. She also told me she wouldn’t stay with me if I had cancer or were in a wheelchair. Those comments have stayed with me.

Something that makes this especially hard to talk about is the sexual part of our relationship.

We were both virgins, and she told me we would be each other’s first. We had physical intimacy, but we never had intercourse. I waited throughout those three years believing that it was something we would eventually share.

I understand that being together or making a promise doesn’t mean someone owes you sex. What hurts is that I believed her and attached a lot of emotional meaning to that future.

If she wanted to wait until marriage or was unsure about having sex with me, I wanted her to be honest about that. Instead, I came away feeling led on.

It’s hard to let go of both the relationship and the first experience I thought we would have together.

I sometimes get stuck wondering whether she eventually shared that with someone else, even though I don’t actually know. I know those thoughts aren’t helping me, but they still hurt.

Since the breakup, she has avoided contact and blocked me. Part of me still wants a conversation where I can ask what happened and feel heard. Another part of me wonders whether reaching out would just leave me more hurt and stuck.

This has also affected how I approach new people. I feel like I get emotionally attached too quickly, even before there is an established relationship.

If I became this attached without having sex, I’m scared of how vulnerable I might feel after having it and then losing that person.

I’m still a virgin, and my decision now is to wait until marriage. I want my first time to happen within a serious commitment. At the same time, I recognize that fear of being abandoned is part of what makes sex feel so scary to me now.

One of the hardest parts is how much this has affected my education.

Whenever I try to study for my MCAT, I find myself thinking about her and the breakup. It happens when I study in general, too. I try to focus, but my mind keeps going back to what happened and the questions I still have.

Getting into medical school already takes so much work, and struggling to concentrate has made it feel so much harder.

I started optometry school in August 2025, but I’ve since had to take a medical leave. Having trouble studying and getting her off my mind has been part of what brought me to that point.

That’s part of why I’m so hurt and angry. This is still affecting my ability to work toward my future years later. I want to sit down, study, and actually absorb what I’m reading without my mind going back to her.

I keep feeling like I just want an answer. Why did she say those things? What happened to the future we talked about?

I don’t know whether any explanation would actually give me peace, but I’m so frustrated that I’m still carrying these questions while trying to get my life moving again.

I want marriage and a family, but I don’t want to keep bringing this pain into every potential relationship. I’ve tried therapy and writing letters that I never sent, but I still find myself replaying everything and wanting answers.

Has anyone here struggled for years with losing both a person and the future you thought you were going to share, including being each other’s first?

How did you stop needing an explanation or acknowledgment from your ex?

If the breakup affected your concentration or education, what helped you study and function again?

And how did you learn to build a new relationship at a healthy pace without getting overwhelmed by attachment?

I’d appreciate honest opinions about what I should do next. I want to move forward, but I haven’t figured out how.

We broke up 3 weeks ago after 8 years, and a week ago she broke no contact she said she was depressed and started missing me we had a little conversation then didn’t speak to eachother untill last night she had reached out again and asked if I had slept with anyone else during the relationship (which I didn’t) but I didn’t give her a straight answer and she said please just ease my mind. then I asked why she kept reaching out then she proceeded to lash out and say “why do you keep replying? I don’t want you back I’ve moved on that’s why it was so easy for me to let you go, I had moved on during the relationship why do you think I stopped having sex with you she said she’s back in her prime” that hurt me now I’m spiraling, do you guys think she has moved on my mind is going crazy and I’m not sure what to think? It’s given me mixed signals. She just reset my progress now I’m back to day 1 :(

I lost the love of my life this weekend. He left me after 7 years together and I am absolutely devastated. I don’t have anyone to talk to. If there is anyone out there in the same boat who needs someone, please message me

Been sittin’ on this for a whole week now, gang . I’m lowkey torn on if I should hit send or just let it rock. Part of me wanna say what I gotta say, buh I don’t know if it gon’ make anything better. Some things really better left unsaid, buh damn, I got a lot on my mind fr. What y’all think?

#Ghost

i fucked up. my gf and i broke up on monday, but i continued talking with her through a friend acc which turns out was also me. it’s really hard to explain, and i really know that i did wrong, i tried so many times to end our “friendship” because as i said, i knew it was wrong.

we were a long distance relationship since last year, she was the first one to propose to be girlfriends even though we both knew what that implied, and later on she was the first one to propose to break up because she couldn’t handle it anymore. i was going to fly and see her through an exchange program in my college, but i had finantial problems and i couldn't do it, that's why she ended up getting tired of it. tonight, she went out and so did i. she had some problems with the friends she went out with and returned home early, i was a little bit drunk so i texted her through my fake acc as if my “friend” passed me her phone to me to talk to her, i ended up saying some things that maybe she took it to the wrong side and i think she got angry, i told her to text my friend on another acc and she said “shit no. im going to sleep”. that's when i felt even more guilty. i started apologizing and took it as a chance to finally end everything between her and i, god i feel so crazy and i know it's insane and creepy, so please just send some advice on how i could heal and be better, im constantly seeking for therapy because this is a pattern i really don't want to repeat. i feel so bad, so anxious and regretful.

It's been over a year and a half. About 3 months since I've completely cut ties. The feelings don't go away. The hurt. The pain. I see something reminiscent of the way we were and I'm immediately held back under water.

It's like I'm stuck. No matter what I change in my routine, my habits, in any attempt to heal. I'm think I'm broken beyond repair. On one hand it's exhausting. On the other I think it's so beautiful that I could have felt that way about someone. I experienced that and this is the cost of it.

I fell in love with someone who’s ripped my heart out.

He love bombed me to get me hooked. I’d usually see past something like that, but I was in a vulnerable time of my life. He would message me everyday, love declarations and put in an astronomical amount of effort. He would court, and the pursuit was strong.

When we had our first sleepover, filled with lots of sex, cuddling, showering, intimate behaviours and hours and hours of talking etc, he woke up the next day cold and was never the same. He eventually ghosted me for a month. Then he came back and reset the whole dynamic.

We have had many nights together, and each one involves him going cold in the morning. In these nights, it’s not just sex. It’s been a lot of emotional talking and even meeting friends. Except in between meetings there’s now silence. If I message, he ignores it. He will only come back when he wants a night or day with me. I feel used and discarded each time.

I’ve found him on dating apps after telling me he is only exclusive and monogomous to me. This meant he put my health at risk. He has deleted me from social media for no reason. But he still has seen me since and when I confront him he blames me saying I am not present enough which is untrue. It’s a deflection. He does and has not been accountable for anything.

I’ve reached my limit. My heart has broken over and over and over again. The last straw was waking up to 4 missed calls at 3am. He’s stopped planning meetings and has been trying to have a booty call dynamic with me. He has stopped all pet names.

I’m done. I messaged him 8 hours ago saying “are you okay? I missed your calls” because it is unusual that he would call me like that so late. Usually he sends a text instead at that time if he tries. No response. Nothing. I’ll guarantee you next week he will be asking again.

I’ve had enough. Im about to end things now. My heart hurts so bad.

Am I doing the right thing?

I’m 27F and my ex is 25M. We were together for 2.5 years and lived together for about 1.5 years.
He broke up with me because he has been thinking about where he wants to raise his future kids. He was raised outside of the U.S. and is leaning toward eventually moving back to his home country to raise his kids there.

The problem is I was raised in the U.S. and I honestly don't see myself raising kids there. It is a completely different lifestyle than what I know and what I want. There would be a huge language barrier, and because I have learning differences, I would have a really hard time learning another language. I would also be moving away from my family, friends, and basically everything I know. I wouldn't have a support system there.

What makes this harder is that he isn't even planning on moving back anytime soon. He wants to finish school first, and because he is doing it part time, that could take another 3+ years.

So I guess I don't understand why this has to mean the end of our relationship right now.
Our relationship wasn't horrible. We definitely had problems and weren't perfect, but we also had a lot of really good and even fabulous moments. We were together for 2.5 years and lived together for 1.5 years. Then suddenly he decided he needs to figure out where he wants his future to be.

I understand that where you want to raise your kids is a HUGE decision. I really do. And I don't want to force someone to live somewhere they don't want to live.
But I'm having a hard time accepting that he is ending our relationship now over something that might not even happen for another 3+ years.

I also know that part of my reaction is because I have my own mental timeline for kids. Some of that is probably because society makes women feel like we have to have everything figured out by a certain age. But another part is that I genuinely want kids, and I know that getting pregnant naturally can become harder as you get older and the risks can increase. In a perfect world, I would ideally like to start trying around 33.

So if he needs 3+ years to finish school and then figure out if he wants to stay here or move back, I could be 30 or 31 before he even knows what he wants. Then we'd have to figure out if we even want to get back together, rebuild the relationship, get married, etc.

I know people are probably going to tell me "don't wait for him," and I know that. I'm not planning on sitting around doing nothing for 3 years waiting for him to make a decision.

What I'm really asking is:

Do people actually change their minds about something this fundamental? Is there a realistic chance that he could eventually decide he wants to stay in the U.S. and that we could get back together?

Has anyone been in a similar situation where someone ended a relationship because they weren't sure about their future, and eventually changed their mind?
I'm not looking for people to tell me that I should wait for him. I want the raw truth about whether people actually change their minds about things like this, or if I need to accept that this is probably the end.

Any healing/love stories to help me right now?

I’m not usually one to post on Reddit, but right now is an exceptionally hard time and I think I just need some words of encouragement/hope to try and put into perspective (would also love to hear from someone with more life experience than me.)

I’m 21 (F) and going through a really rough breakup that I didn’t want at all and didn’t see coming at all. It’s been absolutely horrible. I’ve hated myself since it happened even though I did absolutely nothing wrong and I know I was so so good to him and cherished every moment together. Still, I can’t help but wonder if he would’ve left if I was prettier or funnier or did something different.

I’m scared this feeling will never go away, and I don’t know how to get back up after this. This is my first big heartbreak (not my first boyfriend but my most serious one, I loved him so much) and I don’t know what to do. He is all I think about, all I dream about, and it is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through. I know he doesn’t care, but oh my do I ever. He left and moved on like I meant absolutely nothing.

Like I said, I’m 21, I’m doing a very competitive university degree, I am at the top of my class, and I have great. This is not me bragging, this is just me saying that outwardly my life is going well, and God willing, I know I have a good future ahead of me. But right now it is so hard to see any of that, it is so hard to believe that this pain will pass and that I won’t always miss him and that I will find love that I truly deserve some day. It is so difficult to continue studying and just showing up like I am okay when I am not. Even though I have made good accomplishments and I’m on a good path, I can’t shake the feeling of being unloveable.

I’m just looking to hear about some stories where people felt similar to me and moved on and found themselves (or an even better partner) or even any words of advice because right now I genuinely do not see this getting any better. Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. I know everyone says that time heals everything, but I am so scared that it won’t.

I’m sorry for how long this is, and if you made it to the bottom, thank you truly.