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At first it was pretty mild but after being with her for this long it feels like the only thing she talks to me about is to seek validation.
I was once in a relationship for about a year and a half. Towards the end of the relationship I started seeing behavior like this on her part. She has lost respect for you/forgotten what you mean to her/needs to appreciate you more. If this kind of attitude is constantly present I would say it is one of these or a combination of them.
She should be trying to please you as her boyfriend like she probably did when you two got together in the early stages. My guess is she doesn't really have anyone else to confide in and so she is just venting to you because you are there. Some venting is good and healthy, but don't take too much of it, and remind her that she is lucky to have you as a boyfriend.
I remember my girlfriend once came into my apartment drunk and crying about how she hated her life.... I realized then and there she had actually lost respect for me and I refused to be in her company. It's like a child crying. You want to help but there is nothing you can do sometimes. Or at least that's how my experiences relate to what I read in your post.