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Chris_B PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: 3 important tips to get the most out of this section
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, The Relationships & Family Issues section is one of the busiest here on our forums. It's also one of the areas where we find members can get themselves into trouble! Before posting here, take a deep breath and be mindful of the following... View more

Hi everyone, The Relationships & Family Issues section is one of the busiest here on our forums. It's also one of the areas where we find members can get themselves into trouble! Before posting here, take a deep breath and be mindful of the following 3 tips: 1. Do you really want to share this with the world? This is a public forum. Are you thinking of posting something that could identify you to a friend or family member? Once you've posted, you can't delete what you've written and we don't take posts down from here unless they've broken one of our community rules. This is because our members spend a lot of time composing replies, and there is a much wider audience that gets a lot out of reading what has been written. It's not fair to ask the community for support, then ask to have it removed once you've read it so others can't also benefit. Use discretion when posting here - think about the level of detail you are sharing, and think also about who might know you are posting here. Also, please keep it clean: this is an all ages forum and explicit discussions about sexual problems are not permitted. Threads and posts of this nature will be removed and your account placed on a moderation hold. 2. What do you want to get out of posting here? Relationship and family issues are stressful. Members sometimes post here seeking advice about a relationship that has broken down, but find themselves getting upset when they don't agree with the response they get. This is a peer support forum, meaning we are not mental health professionals. We are people of all ages and backgrounds, with a wide range of life experiences. While we aim for our discussions to be conducted respectfully, people here will respond with the truth as they see it, from their own experiences and perspectives. We are not here to take sides. Offence is almost never intentional, but it can be sometimes taken. The advice you will see here is not intended to be a substitute for professional counselling. 3. What other support do you have? Most people posting on our forums (about any issue) use this space as a supplement to other supports. This forum is not and cannot be a substitute for offline supports, but it is often a good place to start the ball rolling and find the courage for seeking help. If you are relying solely on an internet forum to resolve your relationship or family issues, you are likely to be disappointed. Check out the Healthy Homes section of our Healthy Families website for further information and resources.

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Kaynine_801 Moving On
  • replies: 10

Hi, this is my first post. I have recently broken up with my girlfriend of 6 years. I am 27 and she is 31. We started to have problems with my commitment and her desire to start a family. For the last 3 years of the relationship we just weren't worki... View more

Hi, this is my first post. I have recently broken up with my girlfriend of 6 years. I am 27 and she is 31. We started to have problems with my commitment and her desire to start a family. For the last 3 years of the relationship we just weren't working that well together. So we decided to split which was instigated by her. We have been apart for 8 weeks and we have been in some contact, but I recently found out that she is dating someone else already. I believe that she had set up this new relationship before we ended, as she had mentioned in a fight that there was someone else who was interested in her and I should watch out, and after running into them by accident she confessed that they have been dating for 3 weeks and that she had mentally prepared for our break up months ago. I feel betrayed and destroyed by everything that has happened since we broke up, that she could move on so fast where I am so lost, confused and hurt. Is this guy better than me? Did she ever really love me? I still feel in love with her and care about her so much which makes this even harder. I am coming to the realisation that I need to move on and stop playing with the fantasy of us getting back together but I'm not making any progress in moving on. Any help?

Macand Losing a new love of your life I thought was permanent after already losing my wife to disease.
  • replies: 5

My wife died several years ago and almost 2 years later I bonded with a beautiful lady who had recently lost her husband to similar circumstances. We both have kids. At first I helped her deal with grief and support. It was a beautiful friendship whi... View more

My wife died several years ago and almost 2 years later I bonded with a beautiful lady who had recently lost her husband to similar circumstances. We both have kids. At first I helped her deal with grief and support. It was a beautiful friendship which developed after a while to romance. I was gentle with her and was patient as I wanted her to be sure. It was beautiful for a few years and we have been very supportive to each other and had no problem talking about our partners we lost and could talk about dark days together. The problem is I fell deeply in love and she couldn't move through properly and share our love with her old and dear friends. I have been treating it as a beautiful relationship for several years which I wanted to be everlasting but it appears she has only treated it like an affair secretly behind her friends and family. She would still arrange social nights with old friends but couldn't include me which over time has hurt me deeply. I kept getting signs the relationship would blossom but yet again she couldn't include me publically. This finally came to ahead and she has felt to end it. I know she has probably delayed ending it because she didn't want to hurt me and I have probably hung on too long as I didn't want it to end and only really tortured myself by hanging on. I have been distraught as I still love her but she wants to move on and wants to date again which tears me up. Does anyone have the same or worked through this situation?

somebodyinneed she left me
  • replies: 3

Okay from the beginning, ​I went to work and there was a new intern/ work experience placement . When I met her I didmt know what to say but over the day we began flirting and so on, I asked her out to dinner, she sai no, but continued to flirt with ... View more

Okay from the beginning, ​I went to work and there was a new intern/ work experience placement . When I met her I didmt know what to say but over the day we began flirting and so on, I asked her out to dinner, she sai no, but continued to flirt with me, whem the day ended I said goodbye and she kissed me, gave me her number and went home. She texted me later on apologizing to me saying that she was in a log distance relationship with someone in the us that shes dating a guy in the us who she never met in person. After talking it out over the weekend she said she wanted to be with me. Over th next 2 months we were doin this same loop where she got sad cox she betrayed this other guy amd then I cheered her up amd she was happy, we went on dates spet tie together I fell in love quickly because she is perfect. Sh told me the same. We were happy for a few months then one morming aftr a date the previous day she texts me sayng she doemst love me and tells me she is goimg to gi back ti beijg with thisnother guy. I objected obviously and by the time I even got to text back a wait lets talk about thi for a second she had blocked me, I have been trying for the past month to contact her and all she said to me was to forget about her. I need help because every night for te past month, I have cried myself to sleep thinkig about her, missin her and I have found my self thinking about things ive never thought of before. What do I do? I love this person very dearly despite the complications, I believe that at she did in fact live me too, I miss her every day I am constantly reminded of her and it really hurts nt being able to talk to her. I just cant give up on the feelings I felt when we were together, I was happier than ive ever been in my life, she makes me feel whole and complete, she filleda huge void in my life, but now that she is gome there is an even larger one left where she was, I just miss her so much. thank you for any help that is suggested ​

Chrisk Just need to talk
  • replies: 16

Been very lost. Lost my focus and my self esteem. Gf left me couple months ago and I'm not dealing with it very well. Feel like I lost my best friend. I've been drinking very heavily and just self destructing. I'm usually strong and very stable but I... View more

Been very lost. Lost my focus and my self esteem. Gf left me couple months ago and I'm not dealing with it very well. Feel like I lost my best friend. I've been drinking very heavily and just self destructing. I'm usually strong and very stable but I invested so much heart and soul into this relationship that it's left me a mess. Since the break up there's only been messages. No calls nothing. I just want to talk but she won't. One of her reasons was she suspected I was keeping in touch with an old gf. I wasn't. Nothing of the sort. I've been tried and convicted on pure supposition! It sux

DIDOmummy DIDO/FIFO stressing
  • replies: 7

My husband works away in the mines and though i appreciate him and everything he doses for our family I'm starting to crack a little. We have a 2 year old son and the obligatory family pets and i both work full time and study a full time course load ... View more

My husband works away in the mines and though i appreciate him and everything he doses for our family I'm starting to crack a little. We have a 2 year old son and the obligatory family pets and i both work full time and study a full time course load at university (distance). To top it off we have recently begun the whirlwind process of buying a home so lots of signing things and waiting to hear back from finance people. Work, though it is an industry i am passionate about, has been difficult as two of the people i work with seem to be doing everything in their power to get under my skin due to personality clashes and trying to just smile and wave at it is exhausting. I'm just feeling like i'm failing all the time. I'm stressing about work, panicking that we wont get the loan that I've pretty much put together on my own due to the other half being at work (though even our broker says that its pretty much a done deal) trying to figure out how to fit uni into everything else and sometime i just loose my cool and yell at my son to go away because all i want is a moment where i'm not being climbed on or hung off (which in turn makes me instantly feel like I'm failing at motherhood). I've even started having dizzy spells and have developed a twitch in my right eye which i seriously contribute to stressing way too much. Just wondering how other people in similar situations handle their plates without dropping it all.

Gippy Separation and loneliness
  • replies: 3

Hi, I'm married and have 2 girls 7 and 9. My wife last week said she wanted to separate. I could see in the last 2 months that it might lead to this as she wasn't happy and this caused enormous constant anxiety for me due to uncertainties and worry w... View more

Hi, I'm married and have 2 girls 7 and 9. My wife last week said she wanted to separate. I could see in the last 2 months that it might lead to this as she wasn't happy and this caused enormous constant anxiety for me due to uncertainties and worry which lead to depression. I was prescribed medication for my anxiety in the final days leading to the breakup as I couldn't function but after she told me I didnt seem to need the tablets anymore. She also developed depression as well in the last few months. When she told me she wanted to separate it still hit me very hard, especially since I still love her deeply. At the moment we have decided to at least keep living in the same house (rented) until after Christmas but after that we're not sure when to move out. I currently dont have any close friends and my family are in a different state. We only moved here about 7 years ago so she could be near friends and family. Im now worried about how to manage our kids/work etc (we both agree on a shared plan with the kids). The rejection, isolation and loneliness is worrying me deeply and getting me down. Anyone have any ideas how to deal with this situation? Thanks

berryberrymellow My partner got bored of me
  • replies: 6

I met and fell in love with my boyfriend and we had been dating for 1 year and 6months until he decided to break up with me last night when I got home from work. We met online and I wasn't after anything serious as I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in S... View more

I met and fell in love with my boyfriend and we had been dating for 1 year and 6months until he decided to break up with me last night when I got home from work. We met online and I wasn't after anything serious as I wasn't sure I wanted to stay in Sydney at the time, I'm sure he felt the same because when we first met and we broke the ice and asked each other the usual generic 'first date ice breaker' questions, he mentioned that he had just gotten out of a relationship and wasn't sure he wanted to get back into one. And I was fine with that because I wasn't after anything serious. But what happened was that we went on several dates and found each other enjoying each other's company a lot. Eventually he did ask me out and I was happy and I asked to make sure if this was what he wanted as I wanted it as well. So I made the choice to extend my visa to stay for a couple more years. Anyway after a couple more months of being in the relationship, he invited me to move into his place. It was all sunshine and butterflies for a while and then I got sick and ended up in hospital and had to have surgery. I was in hospital for the first time in my life for a minor but big surgery, far away from home and scared . Anyway, I got through it and had to cut back on my job to recover so I was relatively financially stable but I felt quite stressed about it all because I wasn't sure how I would sustain myself for the rest of the year. My partner had arranged for us to go to Europe in July so I could travel with him and meet his family. So I agreed, both excited and stressed at the same time. while this was being organized I was working casually at a retail store and applying for jobs that would be able to help me financially. A week before we were set to leave, I got offered the job and I would start as soon as I got back from Europe. Fast forward to a week ago, my new job has been stressful with a difficult manager that had been bullying me, I got past that hurdle and my partner had exams on. During this time he had been a bit withdrawn and emotionally detached from me and I tried to hold our relationship together and he just didn't bother. He left me for the first time only for a week to go and live with his parents so we could have a break. My mother texted me to tell me she was in an accident, stress levels are at an all time high at this point. He came back and we talked to try and work things out. He didn't really try, and then he dumped me

Ellabella2010 Struggling to accept separation even though I ended things
  • replies: 4

This is the first time I've ever posted information about my private life on a public forum but I'm hoping it may help get some perspective. Long story short I have been with my partner 13 years and have 2 gorgeous children. In May I decided I could ... View more

This is the first time I've ever posted information about my private life on a public forum but I'm hoping it may help get some perspective. Long story short I have been with my partner 13 years and have 2 gorgeous children. In May I decided I could not stay in the relationship purely because I felt we had grown apart and felt he was not right for me and I felt I spent more time being angry at him and wishing he would change then actually living a good life. It took months and months to make this decision but I moved out of our family home with the girls. To keep things as normal as possible for the girls who are only young 6 and 2 he still would stay at my house 2 or 3 nights a week to spend time with them. Seperate rooms though. Anyway last week he dropped a bombshell that he recently met someone else. Since he told me I have not felt myself at all. I'm shaky all the time, my heart pounds and I feel so sad all the time and cry ALOT. The thought of him with someone else is killing me even though I had been the one to end things. And the thought of another women in my kids life scares the crap out of me. I might add this is the first serious relationship I've ever had as I met him at aged 23. Never had a real break up before and certainly not with the kids involved etc. whilst I know we are not right for each other at the moment I feel I would rather try and get back together with him so I'm not alone and don't have to see him with anyone else and have anyone else involved in my children's lives. Any advice would be appreciated.

Gloria1 Fiancé left me
  • replies: 7

I saw my fiancé change when he first started taking an SSRI 5 weeks ago. He had a nervous breakdown due to major work stressors with owning his own business and went to psychologist and doctors about his stress. He was prescribed this medication but ... View more

I saw my fiancé change when he first started taking an SSRI 5 weeks ago. He had a nervous breakdown due to major work stressors with owning his own business and went to psychologist and doctors about his stress. He was prescribed this medication but never informed me in the last 3 weeks that's what he was discussing 'us'. He didn't give me a chance, he didn't invite me to work through anything together. After 3.5 amazing years. We travelled the world together, we have a dog, we built a life and were due to be married in 3 months. He just left me and became so emotionless... I had to pack his belongings and call his parents to get him because he was such a mess. He's 36. I still don't have all the answers. All I know is that he was waking up panicking about work for weeks, I was holding him to sleep. He was scared when he started taking the medication. He was asking me to hold him in the mornings because he was frightened. The stress was hard on me too. He called me to end it after he left. He was so firm and cold. I could not change his mind or even get him to go to a counsellor with me. It's now been 1.5 weeks and no contact from him and his family have advised me they need to stay out of it & are not speaking to me either... He called my father to tell him how beautiful I was, but that he had to follow his gut and heart. There was no attempt to try work through anything together. Im an absolute mess and I feel as though I've been left in a dark hole of nothingness, whilst he will be feeling numbed by the medication. But I'm also so worried about him at the same time. None of this makes sense. I'm completely in shock, I feel lost & distraught.

Guest6093 New Dad with relationship issues...
  • replies: 4

I'm writing this as my wife is the first relationship I have been. We're coming up to 3 years together and have a 4 month old. Things are naturally stressful at home, added to which are both our financial situations. We've struggled to get on the sam... View more

I'm writing this as my wife is the first relationship I have been. We're coming up to 3 years together and have a 4 month old. Things are naturally stressful at home, added to which are both our financial situations. We've struggled to get on the same page and our romantic relationship seems almost non-excistent. Today I felt like cheating for the first time. Just sex and nothing else. I feel bad it has come to this and hate the idea of putting sexual desires before my family. Any suggestions?