moony
Member
Hi all,
This is my first time posting here... thanks in advance to anyone who reads this and has any insight because I am totally at a loss for answers.
I was dating someone for a few months, but prior to this, we had been very close friends... our relationship escalated so quickly, and we were amazed that we had actually 'found each other'.
I'm not someone who over reacts or is a blinded romantic, but I really felt closer to him than anyone I had ever met in my life. It was an amazing relationship... and from what I gathered, he felt exactly the same about me. We always called each other our "twin" because we could actually read each other's minds and feel each other when we were not even present.
He confided in me one night that he has OCD. Incessant hand washing (which improved upon a bit... at least in my presence he never did this) INTENSE fear of blood and the ground, feet, dog poo on the ground, fears in social situations, deeply afraid of HIV or giving anyone any disease, causing harm to others... I was the only person outside of his immediate family who knew of this... he was so ashamed, but I'm glad he felt he could trust me with this. Over the course of time, I found he was desperately afraid of contamination by keeping his cell phone in plastic, coming home from work and having his ritual time to decontaminate... I only know the word "ritual" from all of the research I've done on OCD at this point.
I was of the thought that we were going to rocket to the moon together in love... Everything was so beautiful with us...
And then he just cut it off.
I knew that it had to do with OCD, but I am completely open to accepting that perhaps he was just a 29 year old man who became "afraid of commitment" and I'm just flattering myself thinking it's not me, it's the OCD...
He all of a sudden refuses to talk to me, and finally one of my text messages was that I just wanted to know he was okay. He mentioned quite robotically that he was okay, but needed time alone to regain energy and clarity.
I kind of flipped out needing an explanation, and the more I flipped out (raised my voice, became angry, bossy, cried, slammed doors --- behavior I am not proud of... but common, I believe during moments of intense frustration) he became more "catatonic"---the only way I can explain.
Basically, he kept saying "I don't know, but I cannot be romantically involved with you anymore, I don't know why, I need time, I need space to sort this out"... He also mentioned he is "empty" and he can't make himself love me anymore.
I keep going over things I may have done that bothered him, put my jeans on the floor before bed and put them on the next day? Kept our condoms in a wooden box next to my bed, and there were coins in the box too... (he's also afraid of cash, being dirty), allowed my cats on my bed and he's afraid of feet...
I mean... all these things, coins and condoms, jeans on the floor and cats snuggling in my bed all seem normal to me, and I keep beating myself up about it thinking "if only I was more aware or sensitive to his fears"
The only thing I can think of is that he broke it off 2 days after the cats came to my house. Was this that pushed it over the edge or is he just a guy afraid to commit?
I sent him about 8 emails and text messages, most being supportive... I am here for you, we can just relax and go for a walk alone tonight instead of a New Years party, you can just sit in silence with me and look into my eyes if you just "need someone"... one was not so nice, blaming him that he is involved with another woman.
I am just totally hurt and confused.
Should I continue to reach out? I don't want to lose him because I love him so so much. But I don't know if it is best just to leave him alone and just accept it's over. I feel inside it is painful for him to let me go, but it's out of his control.
I feel like he's choosing fear over love.
Anyone have any advice?
Thank you so much, I know this was a novel to read...
This is my first time posting here... thanks in advance to anyone who reads this and has any insight because I am totally at a loss for answers.
I was dating someone for a few months, but prior to this, we had been very close friends... our relationship escalated so quickly, and we were amazed that we had actually 'found each other'.
I'm not someone who over reacts or is a blinded romantic, but I really felt closer to him than anyone I had ever met in my life. It was an amazing relationship... and from what I gathered, he felt exactly the same about me. We always called each other our "twin" because we could actually read each other's minds and feel each other when we were not even present.
He confided in me one night that he has OCD. Incessant hand washing (which improved upon a bit... at least in my presence he never did this) INTENSE fear of blood and the ground, feet, dog poo on the ground, fears in social situations, deeply afraid of HIV or giving anyone any disease, causing harm to others... I was the only person outside of his immediate family who knew of this... he was so ashamed, but I'm glad he felt he could trust me with this. Over the course of time, I found he was desperately afraid of contamination by keeping his cell phone in plastic, coming home from work and having his ritual time to decontaminate... I only know the word "ritual" from all of the research I've done on OCD at this point.
I was of the thought that we were going to rocket to the moon together in love... Everything was so beautiful with us...
And then he just cut it off.
I knew that it had to do with OCD, but I am completely open to accepting that perhaps he was just a 29 year old man who became "afraid of commitment" and I'm just flattering myself thinking it's not me, it's the OCD...
He all of a sudden refuses to talk to me, and finally one of my text messages was that I just wanted to know he was okay. He mentioned quite robotically that he was okay, but needed time alone to regain energy and clarity.
I kind of flipped out needing an explanation, and the more I flipped out (raised my voice, became angry, bossy, cried, slammed doors --- behavior I am not proud of... but common, I believe during moments of intense frustration) he became more "catatonic"---the only way I can explain.
Basically, he kept saying "I don't know, but I cannot be romantically involved with you anymore, I don't know why, I need time, I need space to sort this out"... He also mentioned he is "empty" and he can't make himself love me anymore.
I keep going over things I may have done that bothered him, put my jeans on the floor before bed and put them on the next day? Kept our condoms in a wooden box next to my bed, and there were coins in the box too... (he's also afraid of cash, being dirty), allowed my cats on my bed and he's afraid of feet...
I mean... all these things, coins and condoms, jeans on the floor and cats snuggling in my bed all seem normal to me, and I keep beating myself up about it thinking "if only I was more aware or sensitive to his fears"
The only thing I can think of is that he broke it off 2 days after the cats came to my house. Was this that pushed it over the edge or is he just a guy afraid to commit?
I sent him about 8 emails and text messages, most being supportive... I am here for you, we can just relax and go for a walk alone tonight instead of a New Years party, you can just sit in silence with me and look into my eyes if you just "need someone"... one was not so nice, blaming him that he is involved with another woman.
I am just totally hurt and confused.
Should I continue to reach out? I don't want to lose him because I love him so so much. But I don't know if it is best just to leave him alone and just accept it's over. I feel inside it is painful for him to let me go, but it's out of his control.
I feel like he's choosing fear over love.
Anyone have any advice?
Thank you so much, I know this was a novel to read...