Navigating a boyfriend with unlovable core belief

I have to keep remembering as I'm reading this that you two have only been in a relationship for 2 months. I think you need to remember that too.

When it comes to cases of complex trauma the people we are in every day low risk settings can be very different from who we are in closer, more risky connections, and this can further enforce the self belief that we are unlovable. We aren't actually showing up, but rather just "going through the motions". If he's avoidant this is even more likely.

You say that he "show you with his actions" that he loves you. However people pleasing is a very well known behaviour that stems from childhood issues and abusive relationships. He seems to be emotionally unavailable as well.

You two have also created a pretty risky additional factor which is that you two work together. The stakes are pretty high for a relationship that will probably have difficulties due to the baggage you both have anyway.

I feel like you're trying really hard to convince us and yourself that somehow you can love this man well enough to fix him and prove he is lovable. In doing so all your dreams will come true.

This is a recipe for disaster and it's not how healthy adult relationships function. You are trying to heal someone to love you enough to love yourself. This is an underlying mechanism of codependency.

/r/datingoverthirty Thread