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Background: My girlfriend has two kids by an ex fiancé, she left that 5 year relationship for an abusive relationship that lasted two years. She was still keeps in contact with the abusive boyfriend because he has basically adopted one of her kids.
She admitted she still loves her kids father but says it has no effect on our relationship. She then admits that if he made an honest effort and the situation was right....she would take him back or try again.
Question: I feel that i have extended myself too much. As i have tried to deepen the relationship i meet arguments and resistance. I have given 100% but she has not in return. Since we live together how should i go about making the playing field equal again
complex situation...... i can't give advice on the kids and ex-fiance thing but i see some red lines when you mensioned the abusive relationship. it's complex so we must keep it as simple as possible.
1. Every girl loves their ex-BoyFriend...Hate and love are both the same - hate is just a different form of giving attention.
2. She feels an emotional band trough her children, it's something we won't understand.
3. She still have these thoughts of them being together in the perfect relationship ( victimized thought patterns ).
I can give you some advice based on my own experience, my latest ex-girlfriend (was a psychologist) was abused for about 2 years by her ex. People like these really test your patience and do impulsive things like sudden thought/opinion change BUT do realise they really have a hard time themselfs. my Ex-GF was a psychologist she really knew how to hide certain emotions and behaviours.
i also recommend you to talk to a therapist to get a extra opninion.
i have replied to dasani, read the above text about second hand and first hand experiences. Your GF got the second hand values beaten in to her.
Lining up questions :
1. Why does she have sudden changes about her opinions ( loving her ex etc)?
2. Why does she want to relive the past and take him(the ex-bf) back?
3. How would she be affected by enduring abusive behaviour ?
The core question :
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As i have tried to deepen the relationship i meet arguments and resistance. I have given 100% but she has not in return
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Simplification:
question 1,2 and the core question have one thing in common ; they are all created in her reality, from her beliefs --->resulting in certain behaviour
3 is kinda different and is an result of external interference.
so im going to talk about :
1. her frame of reality
2. The results of an abusive relationship
3. Victimized thought patterns ( very complex )
one thing you should keep in mind: This is a delicate and complex situation, certain mindset that im presenting ( if you oppose them to her ) could seriously affect the relationship she have with you and her children. ( if she changes her mindset it could have a domino effect on the people around her who are dependent on her). my suggestion/opinion is for your eyes only.
The rules i am suggesting with this information are :
1. This is for your eyes /ears only
2. Don't talk about it
3. Stop talking about her last relationships, just pretend like it never happened
4.
Accept her for who she is right now , because she is changed by certain situations she endured. Things she says could be not coming from her but from certain emotions/memories and bad values she have learned from abusive behaviour. Things she says ( which hurt you ) is not always really her, these are temporarily emotional tornados.
what im writing could look much but it's massive simplification, im even letting things out because they could change your mindset so much it would affect your relationship in a negative way.
her frame of reality : hard to talk about because i don't know her but il try.... Her former relationships and certain thoughts have created values through First hand experiences. Since the beginning of the relationship she applied these values in some way ( subtle ways ). to be completely direct : her values even not fully visible are very fucked up. She was abused for about 2 years ? ( abusive relationship for about 2 years so i assume ). Most of her values are wounds with bandages on it , they are not healed and this is communicating into your relationship- you said she didn't give much back right ?
When you love someone and that person punishes you for showing love or certain positive behaviour you learn to not show or invest anything back. ( social learning check the reply for dasabi above ). Sometimes woman like to get punched or abused because they are the most comfortable with that reality.
reality Her values/ beliefs from a relationship perpective are based on past experiences - fucked up values from that abusive relationship etc. In short terms; If you fit into her reality she will accept you, However if you don't fit or behave according to her reality frame she will create more distance/space. If you act negative you could give her stability on short term but on long term this destructive - remember she has been in an abusive relationship for 2 years. If you act postive like giving too much love or investing too much she won't like it either BECAUSE it doesn't fit her image/frame of reality - she got different ideals.
From my experience Girls only let them love you as much as they love themselfs, if you love them more than they love themself she will push you away.
When you are being nice to your GF she could dump you after 2 months.. this happens too many people. The girls often say : '' i don't think we fit together '' '' or your not what im searching for '' You are not congruent with her frame of reality/image. sometimes this grows into a disease or obsession; they want the perfect partner - especially people with abused history because they are very afraid someone is the same as their abusive ex. This prevents them from investing, this prevents them from finding a good partner, this prevent them from improving their inner game because their hole in their soul will grow bigger - especially hooking up partner after partner. After a while they create the unconcious thought of needing someone (their inner game is screwed )
People who are abused: ( most prominent charastistics in relationships)
1. Search for the perfect partner
2. Think they are victims of life, and even have sympathy for the abuser
3. seeks attention through negative behaviour, sometimes it's only confirming when their partner think it's negative behaviour.
4. they seek external validation of their (partly) screwed reality
5. Unmotivated.... they want you to be supportive and motivated but they will also become jealous when you are.
not confirming her reality/thoughts will make her push you away.
2. Results of a abusive relationship : Could be disorders created through enviroment who disort their being.
most disorders and charactistics ( depends on age and level of abusement :
Lie when they don't need to, Lying was probably a tactic to survive at home.
Have difficulty with intimate relationships
Expect others to just "know what they want ( perfect partner syndrome)
Over-react to things beyond their control
Constantly seek approval & affirmation
Are either super responsible or super irresponsible.. from my experience often a combination of the 2.
Blaming and courses of actions without thinking about the consequences.
Very judgemental and expect their partner to be non-judgemental
basic needs in a relationship ( severly abused people ) :
The need for good will from the others.
The need for emotional support.
The need to be heard by the other and to be responded to with respect and acceptance
The need to have your own view, even if others have a different view.
The need to have your feelings and experience acknowledged as real.
The need to receive a sincere apology for any jokes or actions you find offensive.
The need for clear, honest and informative answers to questions about what affects you.
The need to for freedom from accusation, interrogation and blame.
The need to live free from criticism and judgment.
The need to have your work and your interests respected.
The need for encouragement.
The need for freedom from emotional and physical threat.
The need for freedom from from angry outburst and rage.
The need for freedom from labels which devalue you.
The need to be respectfully asked rather than ordered.
The need to have your final decisions accepted.
The need for privacy at times.
This doesn't mean she needs every basic need or she lives up to any type of noted behaviour. My ex-Gf endured severe abuse and correlates/fits to everything i noted above.
the definition of love is sooo different for such people, they often confuse love with anger and other emotions, in the end they feel empty and can't into a relationship. Love and respect or love and memory could also be confusive, they often hold on to memories of things which took place before the abusive relationship.
victim/ victimized thought patterns : They often see themself victim of live, they think every action good or bad is justified and often they try to justify their actions( it has alot in common with disorders like borderline, bipolair disorder). The biggest problem is they often see their partner as a victim as well, People who faced severe abuse often have
''stockholm syndrom'' (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome)
Don't be a therapist or psychologist and don't confront her with this... i tried it with my ex and it didn't work out well.
Unwiring has to take place: but it's a long process, you can't force it because if you confront or take her out of her reality ( reality crash ) it's the end of your relationship, Of course it can work out well but it's a huge risk. meanwhile you have to accept the fact she isn't investing much into the relationship because she does not have enough to give right now.
Im already going way too deep right now....so i cut it off here.
Balancing the relationship is almost impossible because she's not balanced, her inner game is not balanced because she has her own problems.
you either accept this flaw or not, if you accept you must be non-judmental and don't become frustrated or angry. Even if you're acting to action and accepting she can still get emotional-overloaded and terminate the relationship.
1. be who you are and don't let her reality influence you ( be solid rock)
2. accept her and don't be judgemental
3. be supportive but don't give external validation
4. if she's lying, mind changes don't confront her and don't be angry - if you get angry/frustrated you only give her confirmation.
5. have patience
these are all suggestions, i don't know her and i don't know the full story. im kinda putting a worse case scenario in here. My ex-GF was forced to take drugs, endured physical punishment, locked up in a room, was threaten/cut with a knife. so i draw my experience/suggestions from a severe shocked/abused , person/relationship. notice the age factor, my ex was about 19/20 years old when she got abused. Older mature people are often less affected(in most cases).
there is also a difference in verbal abuse and physical abuse.
peace