u/False_Parsley_6606

For some context, I'm 30F and have always wanted to get married and have kids.

I worked at a well-known global tech company for six years before deciding to leave and pursue a self-funded master's degree. Recently graduated but unfortunately, the company I was working for went through massive layoffs, and now I'm living off my savings while trying to find a new job.

My original plan was to start dating again once I had a stable job, but the job search isn't going well. As time passes, my anxiety keeps getting worse. I worry that by the time I get back on my feet, I'll have lost valuable time, especially since I want to build a family.

Part of me also worries that my current financial situation will make me less attractive as a potential partner, even though I know it's hopefully just a temporary setback.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Did unemployment or career setbacks affect your dating life, or am I overthinking this? I'd really appreciate hearing other people's experiences.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to get some perspective on a situation that’s been weighing on me.

My boyfriend (both of us in our 30s) and I recently broke up during what was honestly a pretty rough period in our relationship. Things got emotionally heavy, and he seemed to become overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Instead of working through it together, he ended things quite abruptly.

What’s been hard for me is that it doesn’t feel like we actually tried to get through the rough patch properly. There was a lot left unsaid, and I feel like instead of communicating through the stress and discomfort, he kind of shut down and walked away when things got tough. He’s quite sensitive and not very strong when it comes to expressing or processing emotions, which I think played a big part in how things unfolded.

When he broke up with me, he was really emotional—crying and saying that he still cared about me—but that he felt overwhelmed and couldn’t cope with how things had been between us.

Now that some time is passing, I’m wondering if it’s worth reaching out after a couple of months once things have settled a bit. Not to immediately restart anything, but just to have a proper conversation and see if there’s any clarity or closure we didn’t get.

Part of me feels like if there was something real there, it deserves at least one calm, clear conversation outside of that emotional moment. Another part of me worries that reaching out might just reopen things that he’s trying to move on from.

Has anyone been in a situation like this where the breakup happened in the middle of a rough patch rather than after things were actually resolved? Did reaching out later help at all, or did it just complicate things?

Would really appreciate any thoughts or experiences.

I (F) don’t like drinking alcohol because it makes me feel sick, and I’ve been clear about that from early on. My boyfriend (M) knew this when we first started dating (about 3 months before becoming official), and back then it wasn’t really an issue.

But since we became official, his attitude has slowly changed. He seems visibly upset when I say I don’t want to drink. For example, when we went out to celebrate a milestone in my life, he ordered champagne for both of us without asking and said he wanted us to share a drink because it was a special occasion. I felt uncomfortable but went along with it anyway.

Another time on a camping trip, he asked if I wanted “something to drink,” and I said water because I thought he meant any drink. He actually meant alcohol and got annoyed/upset when I said water. I ended up apologizing and said I’d have a drink later just to smooth things over.

He’s told me that drinking is really important to him because he feels like it brings people closer together. I can kind of understand that from his perspective, but I don’t feel the same way—and physically, drinking just doesn’t agree with me.

I guess I’m wondering: is this a compatibility issue? Or is this something couples can normally work through? I don’t know if I’m overreacting, but I feel uncomfortable with the pressure and not sure what to make of it.

TLDR; My bf kind of pressures me into drinking

I don’t like drinking alcohol because I can't take alcohol very well, and I’ve been pretty clear about that from early on. My boyfriend (M) knew this when we first started dating (about 3 months before becoming official), and back then it wasn’t really an issue.

But since we became official, his attitude has slowly changed. He seems visibly upset when I say I don’t want to drink. For example, when we went out to celebrate a milestone in my life, he ordered wine for both of us without asking and said he wanted us to share a drink because it was a special occasion. I felt uncomfortable but went along with it anyway.

Another time on a trip, he asked if I wanted “something to drink,” and I said water because I thought he meant any drink. He actually meant alcohol and got annoyed/upset when I said water. I ended up apologizing and said I’d have a drink later just to smooth things over.

He’s told me that drinking is really important to him because he feels like it brings people closer together. I can kind of understand that from his perspective, but I don’t feel the same way and physically, drinking just doesn’t agree with me.

I guess I’m wondering: is this a compatibility issue? Or is this something couples can normally work through? I don’t know if I’m overreacting, but I feel uncomfortable with the pressure and not sure what to make of it.

TLDR; BF doesn't like me hanging out with guy friends.

Hi all, I could really use some outside perspective on this.

My boyfriend (33M) has made it clear that he’s uncomfortable with me spending time with male friends, and I’m starting to feel uneasy about where the line is between respecting his feelings and feeling controlled.

For context, I don’t have a lot of guy friends, but I do have one I’ve known for about 10 years. There has never been anything romantic between us. We catch up maybe once every 2–3 months, sometimes over dinner. My boyfriend has said he doesn’t want me going to 1:1 dinners with male friends because he sees that as “too intimate.”

I tried to find a middle ground and suggested he meet this friend, thinking it might make him more comfortable, and I’d genuinely be happy to do that. But he said no — his reasoning is that he trusts me, he just “doesn’t trust men.”

It’s not just that one situation either. Even when I’ve gone out in mixed groups (like dinner with a couple of girlfriends and a couple of guy friends), he’s seemed annoyed. He’s also expressed discomfort with me going to networking events or having 1:1 chats with men in my industry, even when I was actively job hunting and those conversations were important.

I understand that if I were constantly going out 1:1 with a guy friend, that might cross a boundary for some people. And I do believe relationships require compromise and consideration of each other’s feelings. But at the same time, I don’t want to feel like I’m being restricted or monitored.

I guess I’m struggling to figure out what’s reasonable here. Is this a normal boundary that I should be more accommodating of, or is it fair for me to feel uncomfortable with his expectations?

Would really appreciate hearing how others see this.

I’m trying to make sense of a past relationship and would really value some outside perspectives.

My ex had a hard time expressing what he wanted or felt. He rarely communicated things directly, but would sometimes seem visibly upset or sulk if something didn’t go his way (for example, if I didn’t want to drink, or if something I said bothered him).

The confusing part is that when I did try to open the door to communication, he downplayed everything. I asked him at one point if he had any concerns about us, and he said something like:
“There are definitely differences, but I’m finding ways to look over it. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing.”

So I took that at face value and thought things were okay.

In hindsight, it feels like he was suppressing his feelings instead of communicating them, and eventually got burnt out and ended the relationship. Now I’m left wondering if things could’ve been different if we’d just had more honest conversations earlier.

I know it’s not all on him. I probably could’ve pushed more or asked differently but I also feel like I did try to create space for those conversations.

Why do some people avoid expressing their needs like this, even when given the chance?
And is there realistically anything a partner can do in that situation, or does it usually end the same way?

Would really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been on either side of this.

I’m trying to make sense of a past relationship and would really value some outside perspectives.

My ex had a hard time expressing what he wanted or felt. He rarely communicated things directly, but would sometimes seem visibly upset or sulk if something didn’t go his way (for example, if I didn’t want to drink, or if something I said bothered him).

The confusing part is that when I did try to open the door to communication, he downplayed everything. I asked him at one point if he had any concerns about us, and he said something like:
“There are definitely differences, but I’m finding ways to look over it. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing.”

So I took that at face value and thought things were okay.

In hindsight, it feels like he was suppressing his feelings instead of communicating them, and eventually got burnt out and ended the relationship. Now I’m left wondering if things could’ve been different if we’d just had more honest conversations earlier.

I know it’s not all on him. I probably could’ve pushed more or asked differently but I also feel like I did try to create space for those conversations.

Why do some people avoid expressing their needs like this, even when given the chance?
And is there realistically anything a partner can do in that situation, or does it usually end the same way?

Would really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been on either side of this.

I’m trying to make sense of a past relationship and would really value some outside perspectives.

My ex had a hard time expressing what he wanted or felt. He rarely communicated things directly, but would sometimes seem visibly upset or sulk if something didn’t go his way (for example, if I didn’t want to drink, or if something I said bothered him).

The confusing part is that when I did try to open the door to communication, he downplayed everything. I asked him at one point if he had any concerns about us, and he said something like:
“There are definitely differences, but I’m finding ways to look over it. There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing.”

So I took that at face value and thought things were okay.

In hindsight, it feels like he was suppressing his feelings instead of communicating them, and eventually got burnt out and ended the relationship. Now I’m left wondering if things could’ve been different if we’d just had more honest conversations earlier.

I know it’s not all on him. I probably could’ve pushed more or asked differently but I also feel like I did try to create space for those conversations.

Why do some people avoid expressing their needs like this, even when given the chance?
And is there realistically anything a partner can do in that situation, or does it usually end the same way?

Would really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been on either side of this.

My ex and I broke up about 2 months ago. It wasn’t messy, but I was left with a lot of unanswered questions about why he ended things. Since then, I’ve been trying to heal and I told myself I’d give it at least 3 months of no contact before even considering reaching out.

Last week, he texted me saying he left something at my door. When I picked it up, it turned out to be a gift from his recent trip, along with a note congratulating on my new job.

Context: before we broke up, I had told him to be careful on his trip, and he jokingly said he’d bring me back a gift. So this wasn’t completely random

Now I’m confused. it was really thoughtful but it stirred up feelings. I don’t hate him and I’d be open to talking at some point because I do have questions. But I also don’t want to undo the healing I’ve been doing or break my own boundary too early.

How would you interpret his gesture? And what kind of response would you send in this situation?

My ex and I broke up about 2 months ago. It wasn’t messy, but I was left with a lot of unanswered questions about why he ended things. Since then, I’ve been trying to heal and I told myself I’d give it at least 3 months of no contact before even considering reaching out.

Last week, he texted me saying he left something at my door. When I picked it up, it turned out to be a gift from his recent trip, along with a note congratulating on my new job.

Context: before we broke up, I had told him to be careful on his trip, and he jokingly said he’d bring me back a gift. So this wasn’t completely random

Now I’m confused. it was really thoughtful but it stirred up feelings. I don’t hate him and I’d be open to talking at some point because I do have questions. But I also don’t want to undo the healing I’ve been doing or break my own boundary too early.

How would you interpret his gesture? And what kind of response would you send in this situation?