Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

[Translated from Spanish. Reminder: IIWIARS is English only]

Good night, people....

How horrible is attachment to people, especially if you believe you can ever have a relationship.

8 months ago, I met a man 15 years older than me. From the first day I saw him, I was smitten, I loved his smile and how good he smelled.

The bad thing is that he was the boyfriend of a friend of mine.

I think I manifested everything because I imagined everything happening. I looked for the opportunity when he was fighting with his girlfriend so I could talk to him. Her number was given to me by her, who was his girlfriend, for some loans he made. Honestly, people, I know karma is going to fall on me, even though I've already shut up, but it was

stronger than me. It wasn't that difficult to interact with him (First red flag)

But we started seeing each other. No one can imagine how gentlemanly, attentive, and all around he was with me (love bombing, second red flag). The truth is, since he's so many years older than me, I didn't think he could be the same as everyone else. He was very different from the last person I'd been with. I felt like we were on the same page, but the truth is, we weren't.

Well, to all of this, I'm clear that he didn't want anything serious, but people proved the opposite. We went on a trip and had a great time until one day his ex found out we were seeing each other. She talked trash about me, and he believed her. The girl looked for me to hit me, exposed me on social media, and he asked me to break up because "I didn't really know what I wanted."

I cried for 3 days because that anguish came back from all the times my ex left me crying days and nights (third red flag).

Those three days, he slept with her, she posted stories, and they reached me.

I felt super humiliated and sad because that's when he showed his true colors. I WAS DISAPPOINTED. He asked me to talk and told me he didn't want to stop seeing me, and that was when I was LOVE BOMBED.

He would do things like eating together, going for walks, jealous scenes, sending good-morning messages every day, and commenting on every single thing I posted.

That was until he got tired of me because the attention was getting less and less.

I started to realize there was another girl besides the ex, and that he treated all three of us equally, with trips, concerts, meals, walks, jealousy, details, etc.

At one point, he started not answering me, or he would only do so every 3 or 4 hours, and the fear started to set in again. I don't know what the fear is, but it drove me crazy. They kept ringing the phone to see if he'd talk to me, and if he didn't, tears would automatically fall. I don't understand why, but it's something that develops on its own, and sadness sets in. Until finally, he spoke to me and his soul returned to my body.

The day came when I got married, and I put him to the test. I exaggerated a little, but I was sure I wanted to get out of there no matter what because anxiety was eating away at me.

I blocked him from everywhere because I believed that would work my attachment and at the same time, I would see his reaction.

I couldn't last a week. During that week, I was in bed for two days, vomiting for three, and feeling very ill. My body spoke volumes. I asked him to talk, and his response was that he was going on a trip and that he would call me that night. I waited until 1:00 in the morning by the phone. He never called me back.

I can't explain how bad I felt. He rejected all the attention I had paid him, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. He had gone off with the other girl. He destroyed every hope I had, and he never called me again.

(I don't know how many red flags I'm throwing)

I couldn't stand not being able to talk, not being able to see him. I needed him, until I called him crying, telling him how bad he made me feel.

His response was: "I apologize, but I don't have any feelings for you. That doesn't mean I don't want to see you anymore."

And I accepted their feelings just to be there. I can't express the ups and downs of emotions I'm going through. I can't get out of there, and I'm not having a good time either. I feel like if I walk away, I'll go through that whole painful process again, and I don't want to. Today, they haven't spoken to me all day, and neither have I. But I'm the one who maintains the connection because I'm always the one who makes the first conversation and the one who asks to meet up.

How do I get out of here, God? Sometimes I really pray to meet someone else, but nothing calls to me.

I know that no matter what they say, it's going to be a nightmare. I just want to skip the sad part.

i’m not sure if there’s an age limit on here so i’ll just say it from the get go: i’m a freshman in an american high school. that’s significant. i know this might sound childish to you guys.

since the start of middle school, i’ve played in band as a clarinetist. me and my friend who ill call E bonded quickly since i had prior knowledge of the instrument and he learned very quickly. there were 17 clarinetists at first, the. the next year there were 10, then 6, and now just the two of us are left. it doesn’t matter, since we’re in a larger band. there are like 9 clarinetists and we are all good friends.

i’m a gay guy, i figured that out mid seventh grade. i liked this one boy, we’ll call A, throughout 8th. i was low key obsessed. i had started to grow out my hair, and i didn’t put much effort into fashion, so looking back on it, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when i was rejected by A. over the summer and throughout the fall i’ve felt the agony, i mean i’d been rejected before but never so directly. I got a haircut and had a glow up imo after that.

a few months ago i could kind of feel that thing, like a nagging feeling telling me there’s someone i like. i don’t know how to explain it, but it always seems to happen a few months after you’ve started to lose feelings for someone. all of a sudden i feel some attachment and attraction to several people. it always happens, no big deal. eventually my brain latches onto one of them and the others fade. and that’s usually okay.

but this time, i can kind of feel my brain starting to latch onto E. i can’t stop thinking about him. he’s probably my best male friend, and he knows i’m gay, but we don’t talk about it a lot. he’s never outright told me he’s straight but he has told me about his various crushes on girls. he’s never acted on them, but maybe noticing that is part of my brain hoping for the best. the other clarinetists and us are a very tight knit group, and we talk and laugh a lot during class. i think one of them, a sophomore girl ill call C, has noticed something. E used to always wear his hoodie with the hood on. slowly, he started pulling the hood down. now he comes in with a puffer jacket (we’re in the pnw) and says “i only wear it so i can take it off.”

i’ll be honest. E is a much better clarinet player than me, and so is C. but E doubles on trumpet. he’s just so good. i’m sort of jealous. also he’s skinny, (i’ve imagined him before), and has recently had a glow-up. i’m just scared he’ll start getting an influx of girls and i’ll be left alone. C almost definitely notices my prolonged stares, like randomly during class i’ll just find myself looking at E, and maybe even making eye contact.

OKAY so here’s the point. i don’t want to tell anyone for these reasons:

-he’s straight(?)

-if i did it would make my feelings real

-were freshman, we’ll have to be awkward for the rest of high school. i adore our easy conversations

-i’m afraid he’ll think i’m weird

-not to mention i don’t even fully know if i like him, there are several other candidates

i’m on here so i can get this out with anonymity.

G'day. I have been feeling absolutely abysmal because

Our children, a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, are fervently committed to environmental conservation, a value my husband (41) and I (38) wholeheartedly endorse. We've always embraced the philosophy "use gently and conserve," which we trace back to the ideas promoted by the Roosevelts.

Recently, after returning from a summer camp where a well-known actor emphasized the urgent need to cut carbon emissions by 66% to avert an environmental disaster, our kids' behavior took a sharp turn. Despite his own use of a private jet and multiple properties, his message hit home with them. They became overly aggressive, confronting friends and relatives about their environmental habits, leading our son to vandalize a friend's Mustang as an act of environmental protest.

To curb this growing fanaticism, my husband and I decided to teach them a practical lesson by challenging them to reduce their own carbon footprints by 66% until the start of the school year. We simplified our home energy sources to demonstrate achievable cuts, but even then, they struggled. They now had restricted car use, limited air conditioning, a diet without meat, and minimal use of appliances to truly understand the impact of such a drastic cutback.

The reality of their choices soon hit them, and within two days, they were pleading to return to their normal lives. We explained the hypocrisy of advocating for a lifestyle they themselves couldn't bear to maintain and imposed stricter limitations whenever they criticized others' environmental efforts. Following a particularly public complaint on Facebook about their restrictions, we cut off their internet access, nudging them further towards their emission reduction goal.

This approach has garnered mixed reactions. While many relatives who had been targeted by the kids' criticisms felt vindicated, others, including my mother-in-law and father-in-law, accused us of being harsh and even reported us to family services. Growing up on a farm taught us the value of true grit, and we believe these lessons are crucial.

Imagine if all this were unfolding on a reality TV show! Viewers would likely be split, with some applauding us for teaching a tough lesson in responsibility and sustainability, while others might view us as too severe, creating drama and drawing in a larger audience intrigued by the clash of environmental ideals versus practical living.

I wonder, would being on a reality show change public opinion about our approach?

I’m constantly judged in my family and I feel like I’m not allowed to share my opinions. I’ve always hated zoos and beaches and parties and I’m uncomfortable with them. I’m constantly there thought because my family wants to go and I’m not allowed to oppose them. My brother though makes everything worse. He’s very manipulative and toxic. He wanted to go to an open zoo today and said it in a way to make it seem like mom’s idea which pressured my dad. I told them I didn’t want to go to a zoo so my brother made it sound like I want to stay home on my phone all day which made my mom furious. I honestly wanted to go out too but just not to a zoo. My mom argued with me and brought up my depression as a joke while my brother kept making sarcastic comments about me to make her even more furious with me. I came to the conclusion that sharing my opinion in this house is just not an option but even if I stay quiet my brother tells my parents that I’m “acting depressed again”. I just want all of this to end.

My therapist told me that it's pretty possible that I have some traits of autism, and I don't know a lot about it.

Yes, I know, "google it". But I wanna know if someone have some resources as books, movies, docs, or something about it.

Thanks.

I feel like love has knocked on my door. It seems like some stories are approved and published, while others aren't. I feel like I'm standing in front of the love of my life, the person I've loved the most for a very long time. I can't wait to be without her for one more minute. I can't stop thinking about her, and it's not in an unpleasant way, a back-and-forth, but quite the opposite. This time, I like the feeling I'm experiencing, and it's sensational. I also feel like it's two-way, not just a one-way thing. I feel like this time we're both on the same wavelength, not one going in one direction and then the other pulling, and so on. It's the best thing that could have happened to me in my life. I don't really like it when some stories are published and nothing is said about them, unlike others; it's like leaving aside things that are separate from one another, and it's not pleasant.

I want to be with that girl I met in that library. It's not a lie; I feel like we both love each other deeply. To hell with it, whether others believe me or not, to hell with the structures I have to break, I only want to be with that girl forever. I'm tired of so many failed attempts with girls, always ending at a distance. But how long will that end? For so long, I've been waiting for the doors of love to open before me. I can't waste it under any circumstances; this only happened to me once as a child, and now it's happening again; it's the same feeling.

I don't know where she is, not even her name, I just know that I love her deeply. I wish she could penetrate my WhatsApp—I feel like all my stories are equivalent to the same thing; I feel like every one you post, every one you comment on, every one you should let me know. I feel like love has finally come to me. How many years have I been searching for that feeling I felt as a child again? That's why I embarked on this personal journey again, because I felt it was there, just dormant. I can swear, I've found it again.

I can't let this girl leave my life under any circumstances. I couldn't handle that reality. Ever since I realized that girl loved me, but because she neglected her feelings, I couldn't be with her. It hurt so much. I'm exhausted from so many romantic disappointments. This has to be my chance. I pray that it is. I can't take another one. If it is, I feel like I'll go down the drain.

When I was a kid, I made so many mistakes with the girl with whom I felt that special something. I despaired. I broke up with her because of that, via Messenger message, precisely because of that, because I couldn't stand it anymore. I feel like it's been haunting me for the rest of my life. I was a kid too. From that moment on, I haven't had another girlfriend. I can't believe that right now I'm experiencing that same feeling of connection again, that same feeling of wanting to be together. From so much writing, from so much digging myself out, I managed to reach that possibility again, that I might experience something rich with someone, something pleasurable, something full of joy, not confusing, but rather euphoric.

How is it possible that in such vague encounters this girl and I have felt the same thing? It's simultaneous. Maybe I was wrong when I said that love existed—I feel like a woman's daughter isn't talking to me because I didn't look further; she's sort of directing that beyond; it's obvious she likes to be mischievous in terms of rebelling against her mother, but I wasn't going to do that. I feel like I do feel it here, I do experience it. When I left seeing this girl, I only felt joy and more joy, and I don't know why; I think I've only seen her twice, and it was by accident. I don't even know what she studies, or anything about her life, I just knew that I loved her. It can't be, this seems to be, what they call love at first sight.

Damn! I feel very excited—on another website, these kinds of stories were deleted, and I didn't understand why. I never thought I'd experience this love at first sight thing. I mean, with that girl, I was just being sketchy, the way she likes it, and that was it. Always remembering such an act of respect, which I know hurts when someone doesn't remember you. I feel like we somehow connected; I remember that wherever I was, she passed by me, and I looked at her many times, and then I realized how much it bothered her, and I bowed my head, just like she did, and we connected. I felt like we understood each other in a very, very deep way, and it's fascinating to find someone like that in this world.

I remember her carrying books, nervous, always trying to do her best. I couldn't get enough of her. I was in those shoes too. A few weeks later, going to the place—where he works, apparently sometimes—I identified the annoyance he felt about coming on a weekend, and I knew it immediately. I understood that annoyance, and also how hidden it was, and how naturally he expressed it. It felt like I'd found my soulmate a long time ago. I never thought anything would happen to me. It was a truly beautiful experience A week before, I remember, I was trying to get away from her. I always saw her looking for some scenario to start a relationship, and that was exactly what I did. Of course, that was something she didn't like when she saw it in someone else, just like me. I feel like we have these things in common, but there are several more. Where there's one, there's more. I definitely don't think about blaming a woman to get to her daughter; I know that was what she wanted with me, it was a counter to her daughter's pranks, which, apparently, isn't the first time she's tried to get rid of her.

After so much exploration, I saw that all those emotions were perhaps not what I thought they were. I admittedly let myself go. At first, I saw it as something grand, fantastic, phenomenal, but today I see it as something flat and relaxed. I thought I'd take her to the ends of the earth with all the luxuries, but I think I was a bit deluded. I hope that girl has settled down just like I have. Although, after falling into this lull, I confess, I don't know what to do. I thought there would be many more details, but I don't feel like I'm missing any.

So, after everything I've written, what did I feel? Indeed, we're talking about empathy, but that's not what I mean. What will I go beyond? Was this just a momentary joy? Will I never go out with her, and will it go any further? Will I then return to my boring old life? I don't see my life as a good thing right now, under any circumstances. I've already left there; I don't want to go back. I say it, truly, I want to be with this girl, I want to go out with her, and I don't think she'll take no for an answer. I know it's not right to be together, but how many times have I said that and realized there's no such love? How many heartbreaks have I had? I feel like this woman's daughter isn't talking to me because I didn't go further with her; Out of respect, and I feel like him distancing himself from me seems like a very toxic form of pressure. "When will I be with the new girl? When will I be with her?" "I feel like the thing with the girl didn't work out because I didn't want her, I didn't love her in any way; in fact, since I stopped trying with that girl, I feel like I'm no longer on the path to repeating my parents' story." "I feel like with this new girl, I'm heading towards a new story, a story where I'm finally with myself, where that's reflected."

I have to say it: I feel like I love this new girl, and that's it. However, I'm worried about making a mess, about the repercussions on my environment." "Another girl felt those feelings, and by becoming a mess with them, she lost me permanently; to the point that I had to permanently leave where I was so as not to feel her persecution. Plus, an entire environment supports her with the mess she'd turned her life into; how much damage can a person do when their life is about to fall on them or explode every now and then."

So I was at school today, and there is this one guy named Sebastien— the school bully who bullies girls, tugs their hairs and you know the rest. He forced Maverick to give him the orange juice Maverick was drinking himself, and he got really mad, and didn’t want to give the juice to Sebastien. So what he did was, he went to the washroom, poured the juice out and replaced it with tap water, then he added some crushed Doritos inside and dipped a yellow highlighter in the tap water. And ON THE NEXT DAY SEBASTIEN DRANK THE SOLUTION like bro’s crazy

Maverick prepared crushed crayons to put in someone’s drink as well— someone who he didn’t like as a backup plan. No one had the urge to snitch, and things are getting scarier😭

I hate commiting to people, they're unpredictable and it takes to much effort to stay friends or whatever else a relationship may want to tilte itself as. At times my mental health is just doing bad, or I just realized how bad they actually are. Other times I feel like they don't need me, or don't actually like me. So I leave. People always make me so tired, no matter how hard I try I end up leaving them idk why... and I may be a horrible person but at least I'm starting to realize that people arent for me. I don't need them. Theres a hole that no one can ever seem to fill.

Honestly, there is more than just my school that i wanted to talk about, so ill put it in also right after school, first thing is that in school, im always told by my friends that most of our classmates or people in the school hate me, only cause they say im over dramatic, a main character, and more, i guess its cause im the only one who tells them to be quiet of fix the chairs when its required…

But its not like i dont know about this before my friends told me, i know people hate me, i always hear them whispering my name, mimicking my voice or even hearing my friends tell me they heard them say fat jokes about me, like that i only came to the certain event for the food..

I would tell a teacher, but i worry ill get hated even more… and its hard already considering most of the people there hate me, and i wont be able to tell my family either, cause last time i did they keep cutting me off and get mad when i snapped at them or tried stopping them from spreading their version of my story, where it would seem like im the one at fault…

But it might be true though, what if im the cause of such things?, what if even if i try doing it cause its good, ill only be seen as annoying?… what if im not soft hearted and in fact im just the over dramatic freak they say that cries or gets mad too easily?

What if when i tried venting to my friends, they were correct when they told me im the reason for such things and that im the cause of family drama, and that it is all in my head?…..

Its easier to tell these through a message than to speak them, after all, i have no one left to talk this to, and if i tried getting therapy, my family would call me crazy… what could i possibly do?….. and am i too young and just misunderstanding everything even though i have felt this way for years now?….

My girlfriend Ellie recently celebrated her birthday. We kept the celebration low-key with a little gathering at our place since she really dislikes opening presents in front of others, something all our friends are well aware of. Hence, she decided to open her gifts later that same night after everyone had left.

A couple of days after her birthday, she received a package from my parents. They tend to go big with gifts as they're quite well-off and had picked out a high-end designer purse Ellie had shown interest in during our last visit. My parents had snapped it up that same weekend to save for her special day. Ellie had already texted them a thank-you in advance, mentioning she'd update them once she’d opened it. Nevertheless, the gift remained unopened on our dresser for days, making my parents anxious enough to send a message inquiring if she'd looked at it yet. I prompted Ellie about when she might unwrap the gift, to which she simply answered, “soon.” I have to admit, I was eager too, knowing how much she wanted that bag.

As more days passed without the gift being opened, my parents followed up again. Feeling pressured, Ellie asked me if I could request them to back off. She explained that the pressure was taking the joy out of it for her, making her reluctant to open the gift at all. To me, this was baffling. There was no audience, just a simple unwrap and a follow-up thank-you would suffice—much like how it was with the earlier gifts from our friends. Frustration set in on both sides when I voiced this, and she retorted, “you just don't get how uncomfortable it makes me.”

Nearly a week after the gift arrived, my parents contacted me privately to enquire if Ellie liked the purse. Upon learning it was still unopened, they wondered if they had somehow crossed a line. Their past gifts hadn’t stirred such a reaction, and truthfully, I found it somewhat discourteous of Ellie not to at least acknowledge it by now.

Last night, while Ellie was out with friends, I decided to take matters into my own hands; I opened the gift myself and placed the bag prominently on the dresser, hoping to alleviate the pressure off her so we could all move past this awkwardness. I thought I was doing her a favor. However, she didn’t see it that way when she returned home. She was upset, revealing she had suspected the bag’s identity and felt uncomfortable about its lavishness, admitting it wasn’t the right time for her to open such an expensive gift. I argued that it was somewhat impolite to delay further, but she countered that it was more inappropriate for me to open it for her. The evening ended tersely, and this morning was no better, the purse still untouched on the dresser where I left it.

Imagine if this had unfolded on a reality show — the cameras zooming in on the unopened designer gift, the audience perhaps sympathizing with Ellie's discomfort or criticizing my impatience and breach of her privacy. The scene would certainly stir up strong opinions among viewers, polarizing comment sections and probably spawning a fervent discussion about boundaries and empathy in relationships.

I (F22) have been dating my girlfriend (F21) for 3 years.

🧡 We met 1-2 weeks before starting college, since we were going to be classmates. She was supposed to live in the dorms for free, but after 2 days, she hated it and invited herself to sleep over at my place (we barely knew each other). We hooked up that night - and she basically never left. Classic lesbian stereotype, I know.

🌈 At first, I hid from my parents that she was living with me since they were paying my rent and didn’t know her. After 2 months, we made it official. A few months later, she met my parents (they thought we were just friends) and they adored her. She came home with me every visit. After 2 years, I told them we were together, and surprisingly, they were super supportive - even got over their strong homophobia for her. Now they treat her like their own daughter, and my whole family loves her... even more than they love me, sometimes.

💼 She’s been a super supportive partner and has helped me a lot with my business. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am without her. But she doesn’t have a job, and her abusive parents don’t support her or even know about us. She lives off a small scholarship allowance and feels guilty for not contributing more. I got her a laptop, my dad got her a phone, but she refuses to let me hire her because she wants to earn her own money. I usually cover everything, and I don’t mind since my business does very well. We recently moved to another apt, and my parents still pay the rent for both of us.

💔 The truth is, I don’t think I ever truly loved her romantically. I was probably just scared of being alone in a new city and clung to her because we were both lesbians and colleagues. I mistook her vibe for something more masculine at first, but over time I realized she’s not really my type physically. I do love her personality - she’s emotional, artistic, and sees the world beautifully. I’d often find myself staring at other people, not fantasizing, just feeling a quiet frustration inside. In the first year we were very active se)(ually, but now I am forcing myself to do it. I'm not enjoying it.

🕳️ When I moved away for college, I was excited to live independently, but that never really happened. She moved in almost immediately, and we became co-dependent: always together, doing everything side by side. Now that we just finished college, I feel like I missed out on everything -freedom, partying, self-discovery. While others were out living, I was working nonstop on my business. I am succesful, I've even been on the news, but I feel empty, like I sold my soul for money. Sometimes, I think the only escape is death. I don't want to be in this relationship anymore, but I’m scared to leave. My parents love her and they’d never forgive me. They would never accept another girl, because SHE is the reason they stopped being homophobic.

🏠 I’ve been saving for a house abroad and told her it’s for both of us, but she hasn’t contributed financially because she doesn’t have a job. I’m not upset - most people our age aren’t making this much, but she constantly compares herself to me and feels like a failure. She has breakdowns because she can’t provide, even though most students don’t have it figured out yet. I tried encouraging her to freelance; she got one client and gave up. I have tons of business and investment ideas, but she won’t act on them. I can’t keep pushing her. I’m already exhausted from running my business and dealing with my own mental health issues.

🌍 I’ve always valued freedom, and marriage feels like a cage. I like being alone and dream of traveling the world. I could afford to do it now, but I can’t because she can’t afford it and feels guilty when I pay. I know she’ll get a job eventually and things might balance out, but for now, I’m sad my youth is slipping away. My past relationships were traumatic - one landed me in the hospital, another was a drug addict, one dug up her dead dog’s skull, and another cheated on me while I paid for everything because she was nearly homeless. This time, I chose someone kind and stable, not really my type, but safe. She’s never hurt me, but I’m still unhappy. And even though I know she’s not using me, I’m tired of always being the provider.

📱💬 I know you’ll judge me, and I don’t blame you. Last year, feeling lonely and needing a new friend, I started chatting with a masc lesbian on Bumble BFF. She had a girlfriend, so I saw her as a safe friend. She was adventurous, always traveling and doing extreme sports - basically the life I wanted. She wasn’t the issue... it was what she awakened in me. She was the version of myself I never got to be. We talked nonstop for months, and my girlfriend noticed. I felt happy texting the other girl - not se)(ually, just less lonely. My girlfriend got jealous, and I understood why, but I couldn’t stop. The girl broke up with her partner of 4 years and started dating around. I was interested in her stories because I was frustrated about my own relationship. She invited me to hang out, but my girlfriend asked me to cut contact, saying the other girl was flirting. I didn't tell my gf that that girl broke up with her partner, because I wanted to keep things safe. She eventually removed me from her following list and she unfollowed me, because I stopped replying to her texts, since my gf was mad.

💀 I want to be honest. I hoped we’d become best friends and maybe more. Some of our chats felt like flirting. She complimented me a lot, and we talked nonstop. After we started talking, I had a breakdown and told my girlfriend I didn’t love her and wanted to break up. She was devastated and she thought I was falling for that girl. I couldn’t break up for real because I worried about my parents and that my girlfriend would have nowhere to live. I told another time I wanted to break up, and she begged on her knees for me to stay. We’re stuck together for at least two more years because we’re doing our masters in the same city. I feel trapped and often think about su!cide as the only way out. The pressure from my parents, business, and her situation feels overwhelming.

💔 It’s been 1 year since I stopped talking to that girl, but I’m still frustrated my gf wouldn’t let me meet her. I think I developed an unhealthy obsession, hoping to run into her or reconnect. Now I see it was emotional cheating and wrong. I never even met her in person, so it was just lust stuck in my mind. Since then, my girlfriend lost trust in me and started trying to be more masculine, feeling like she was competing and getting easily triggered.

🚫 I’m stuck. Leaving my girlfriend now would ruin my relationship with my family, and she’d have nowhere to go. But staying makes me more depressed every day. I’m on medication and feel like my youth is slipping away. I regret not exploring more before her. I only slept with 2 women before. When I tried to break up, she begged me to stay and offered that I could sleep around while she waited but I refused because that wouldn’t be fair to her.

🪞I’m still dating her but feel guilty for leading her on. I’ve lost myself in this relationship and put on 10 kg. I hate the way I look. I wanted someone who would push me, but she’s my mirror. We even say the same things and act alike. We often leave the house messy because we’re both struggling mentally and isolated from friends. She had therapy for a while but stopped due to cost. Her therapist once told her that they knew the girl I talked to. It used to be one of their old patients but she was problematic. The fact that the therapist told my gf the confidential info about that other girl made me distrust therapy even more. Although I know people will say I need it.

Please tell me what you think about this situation. You can be harsh, because I know that what I did was not moral at all. I haven’t told any of my friends this, because I am afraid. All of our friends are common and they would think I am a s!lut. I have been keeping this inside for over one year. Thank you!

My dad has been struggling through some mental health issues for a while and we have been doing our best to support him (my mother and my siblings ). However my younger sibling caught my dad cheating yesterday night as he was calling and texting with another lady. My parents have been married for around 30 years. I feel like throwing up. My dad isn’t a bad father, we always looked up to him because of his strong personality but none of us can even look at him now anymore. He keeps apologizing and keeps saying that he did it because of his mental health issues but what kind of an excuse is that? He broke all of our trust, we never expected this from him. How does one even cope with this? All we have been doing is crying and feeling numb the entire day. I feel so bad for my mom, we can’t even leave as we are financially dependent on him.

What a nice father’s day I guess.

I'm 13, and I get periods. They hurt sometimes but they tell me I'm fine. I've had them when I was 9, which is pretty early for some reason. I've got bad days, okay days, and days where for some reason my pubic regions hurt, not my abdomen. I've never taken painkillers for this since hey, I could at least manage for a while. When it's too much, sitting down somewhere helps and hot showers too. But some women don't like it, and hate it so much they take birth control, or they feel proud and celebrate when they hit menopause maybe at 45. So does that mean I should do what they do for whatever reason, like gender dysphoria, they don't wanna get pregnant, it hurts too much or sensory issues? They do it for all the reasons, even when I don't get them. Maybe I'll get them later when I'm older. Should I Take birth control, have an IUD, maybe arm implant, or a hysterectomy, or maybe get early menopause. They all do it, and I feel like I'm missing out. All adults I see do that, and woman said, "I'm glad I got menopause. It's not as bad as people say it is! I absolutely hated the cramps and sensory issues, so this was amazing." Are my periods bad? A lot of them make it seem like this scary, looming danger that will and WILL hurt me.

Ok, here we go...I'm stuck in this rut of how do I proceed from here kind of thing. In a nutshell, I've been friends with this guy for about 4-5 years now, but we really started becoming best friends over the last two years. We're both in our 30s. About 7 months ago we started really hanging out more and having weekend movie watching sessions and dinners. He would reach out to me more then and engage in conversation, as well as asking to hang out. We never got past the cuddling stage, but I could definitely feel the chemistry and attraction between us. I know we were both holding back because I was just finishing up a divorce and I wasn't yet officially single. About 5 months ago, I got brave and admitted having feelings for him. We are both very open with each other about anything on our minds. The conversation was cordial, but he stated that he didn't know if he felt that way about me and wanted to "cool" things off because of the fact the divorce wasn't official yet. I completely understood from a moral perspective and respected that (not looking for judgement on this though). The kicker part is when we continued the convo, I flat out asked if he would ever see a future with us in it or if the idea of "us" is out of the question. He said he didn't know, and couldn't see into the future, but he wasn't going to close the door on the idea of there being an "us". He also is the type of person who would say if there wasn't a chance. So naturally, you can see how this gave me hope.

We didn't hang out as much after that and we still don't as frequently, BUT here's the kicker part(s): we still talk almost every day (even if he's not as talkative as he was in the beginning when things felt newer), he still confides in me, I still get invited to go with him to visit with his parents every other weekend (his parents/family loves me), we'll get quick dinners together, he's gifted me several things in the last two months, etc. Basically what is missing from before is the amount of quality alone time we get. Maybe he isn't committing to that because he doesn't want to give the wrong impression, but when we aren't in a busy phase at work/life, he will actually reach out suggesting getting back into watching shows together. I also wonder if he doesn't want to jump into anything because I'm still only a couple months divorced and he doesn't want to give others the impression that I got divorced to be with him (which isn't the case. he was not the reason for my divorce in the least)

SO THIS IS WHERE I'M STUCK. I'm so smitten with him, and have never felt this way about anyone, and don't have anyone else in my life, so on one hand I kind of say to myself, I'll take what I can get. On the other hand, I wish I could just walk away and give it some distance to let him figure out if he wants me to be that special someone in his life. He hasn't been in a relationship in A WHILE, so part of me also wonders if he's just super used to his solidarity and is really out of practice. My mind always asks myself, if there was no possibility of us being a thing, wouldn't he have just said that there was no possibility of that instead of saying he wasn't "closing the door" on that potential? Also, if there wasn't the possibility, why would he go to the lengths he does with certain things still? IDK! These are things that I feel people our age wouldn't do if they were "just friends" with each other and my close friends/family agree.

If you've gone through something like this, or had someone you know go through this, or you're genuinely just good at reading people and situations and have advice/opinions to offer, I'm all ears!