i need advice
F/21, been with my boyfriend M/20 for 1.5 years. somewhere along the way the relationship became more fights, overthinking, and emotional exhaustion than love. we broke up once because he said he didn’t care anymore, but later we got back together because he said he still loved me. now we’re together again, but emotionally i just feel numb and disconnected most of the time.
recently i’ve gotten closer to a friend/coworker M/22. nothing inappropriate has happened, but we’ve both been vulnerable with each other in ways that are rare for us, and around him i genuinely feel like myself again. i feel calmer, lighter, and happier around him. the confusing part is that i don’t even know if i’d want a relationship with him or if we’re simply better as friends. i just know that being around him made me realize how emotionally drained i’ve been in my current relationship.
for people who’ve experienced something similar: how did you figure out whether you were truly falling for someone else, or whether your feelings were coming from emotional exhaustion in your current relationship? and how do you know when a relationship has emotionally run its course?