Trust Issues

2 answers /

Last post: 10/04/2023 at 8:48 am

LAUREN W(72)
Lauren W(72)
09/04/2023 at 10:02 am

I have been with my boyfriend for 14 months but we have known other for 5 years but we were not in a relationship we were only seeing each other with no commitment. He made it clear it wasn't going to be anything more. I liked how honest he was and he even told me he had been to prison for something he did when he was younger. It wasn't anything sexual or anything that made me think he shouldn't be walking free. I am open minded and accept that people make mistakes as I have myself. I began to socialise with him and his friends and over time I used to spend a few days at his home whenever I could. I knew he was seeing other women as well as me but I never questioned him about it. We were on and off together alot of the time and it was always him deciding when he wanted us to stop and when to start things back up again. I grew frustrated with him and started to accept that he wasn't going to give more and didn't really take him seriously. I started to seek a relationship so I dated other people but they were never right for me and my child. During my past two relationships which both were toxic, I ended up seeing him again. I still felt drawn towards him. Then I ended the relationships to continue seeing him even though I knew he didn't want anything more. I broke his trust in me and did something bad instead of asking him I just took from him. We eventually got back to the same situation of seeing each other. Until he once again messaged me and called things off telling me he has met someone else. That was the final straw for me and knew I has to forget about him. Four months later I found out he had gotten into trouble again and spent two years in prison. When he got out he never reached out to me and I had moved on. It was a few months after he had been out of prison we exchanged messages but from his messages I decided not to get involved with him again because seemed to be just like he was in the past. Until his friend contacted me and told me he really wanted to start seeing me but as something more than what we were last time. I was sceptical and because of our on and off past I didn't trust/believe it. This time he was a whole new man. I met his parents and we spent so much more time together. I had doubts so I did question him at times. I spent a lot time at his parents house and eventually my daughter formed a relationship with him and his parents. I went through his phone one night and came across women on his social media accounts and he had a few phone numbers of women that he used to see before me. I began to lose trust in him again. All of his past encounters were wiped from his phone he admitted it was wrong even though nothing had happened while we had been together this time around. He also used to look at females behinds in front of me and comment on how good they looked. On one occasion in a restaurant he was blatantly staring at a waitresses bottom who was stood at the front of the restaurant. He was looking for that long I reacted with anger and made him switch seats. I was angry and felt insecure and couldn't work out why he would do that in front of me. More trust was lost and I began to think he wasn't really serious about me after all. I expressed how he was making me feel and it seemed to sink in that his behaviour wasn't acceptable in our relationship. I was considering ending the relationship if he didn't change his ways. I also found so many girls profiles that he followed. They all looked the same hair extensions fake breasts lip injections and tattoos, the total opposite to me most of which live in the same area as us. I haven't noticed this behaviour for long time unless he's learnt to be more discreet. I think it's a natural thing to look especially for men right? He treats me good and my daughter. I love him so much it's just the trust issues. He has also told me a few of his friends that are in relationships cheat but he reassures me that he's not like that and he never would. I think that maybe because he has been in prison for a long time he would maybe go and explore elsewhere. Also I have seen messages that he has exchanged with other women before me this time around of him asking them to come out and meet up for drinks. I havent got any of my past encounters on any of my social media as I think it's wrong I wouldn't want them on whilst I'm in relationship. I miscarried twins a few months ago and we are trying for a baby still. He's seems to want to start a family with me but. I just find it hard to trust him fully. Am I worrying about nothing? Am I letting the past interfere? Should I trust him?

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KAYLEIGH W(312)
Kayleigh W(312)
10/04/2023 at 8:48 am

Hi Lauren,


I’m Kayleigh, one of the parent supporters at Netmums. It sounds like you really care about your partner and want to have a committed relationship, but you are left feeling uneasy about how he looks at other women and fear he might be unfaithful after what you have experienced previously.


You mentioned that ‘ I have seen messages that he has exchanged with other women before me this time around of him asking them to come out and meet up for drinks. I havent got any of my past encounters on any of my social media as I think it's wrong I wouldn't want them on whilst I'm in relationship’

It sounds like the two of you may have different ideas of what commitment might look like and boundaries within a relationship. People will also have different ideas of what ‘cheating’ looks like too and this is all about what you personally feel comfortable with.


To help foster trust in a relationship, it can be helpful to discuss what feels comfortable for both you and your partner. From here, you can create some shared boundaries so that both of you have a clear understanding of what to expect from one another. Relate have some useful guidance on this too: https://www.relate.org.uk/get-help/how-build-trust-relationship


I’m so sorry for your loss and wishing you all the best in your journey of trying to conceive again


If you would like some further help from the parent supporter team, you can make a thread in our drop in clinic here: https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/drop-clinic-984/


Take care,


Kayleigh

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