Immediate support
Immediate support

Relationship and family issues

Anything to do with managing relationships and family, including parenting, separation, loneliness, divorce, family and friendships.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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.

All discussions

Start a discussion

JJ281984 Hi in new here
  • replies: 1

Hi I'm new here. I was in a 12 year long-term relationship with my ex I also have a child with him I have another child to a previous relationship. My ex use to manipulative control me emotionally n mentally .we split when my youngest was 3 I was stu... View more

Hi I'm new here. I was in a 12 year long-term relationship with my ex I also have a child with him I have another child to a previous relationship. My ex use to manipulative control me emotionally n mentally .we split when my youngest was 3 I was stupid to go back and split for good in june 2020 , me n kids moved in our own place and loved living alone. my dog of 17 years passed and broke me hard . Met my current partner in 2021 my current situation is I find it hard to live with my partner my head feels like ii cant breathe when im around people all the time if too much going on I will outburst I have awful episodes my body shuts down no head cant breathe head hurts so much has alot of pressure I just lay there for days I can't function at all I'm weak my bones are weak um so depressed I shut the world out and don't talk to anyone it starts off with thoughts about my partner. I feel the same when living with my partner as with my ex I feel like im living back with my ex i feel isolated and so unhappy so depressed and that's what I was scared of happening again and it has but I feel great when I live alone happy as can be and I need my own safety place I need alot of space as my head always feels messed up alot the past year with My partner n living arrangements and I don't no what to do I also have fibromyalgia so I dont no if that has anything to do with mu on going episodes. Thank you for listening x

butterfly379 Guilt from divorce
  • replies: 4

Hi,New member here, feeling extreme guilt, loneliness and self-hate for ending my marriage. I won't state why I ended but more so feel terrible because of the impact it is having on our child. I feel selfish for putting what I wanted rather than the ... View more

Hi,New member here, feeling extreme guilt, loneliness and self-hate for ending my marriage. I won't state why I ended but more so feel terrible because of the impact it is having on our child. I feel selfish for putting what I wanted rather than the impact it would have on our child who has extra special needs and struggles with the transition between two places. All the anger I had against my ex has disappeared and I feel the opposite sad for him because his not coping with raising our child on his own; we have a shared care arrangement. I feel so guilty for breaking up our family and our child has no friends, siblings or cousins his age, the other night he stated he is very sad he doesn't have these things or a real family any more. I have moments of disbelief for what I did and feel lonely and isolated because I too struggle with friendships so I have no one to talk to and I have done and said things to my own family that upset them so not as close as what I thought it would be. I keep feeling like I want to go crawling back with my head between my knees very well knowing the marriage still wouldn't work but at least our child has a family again. I read alot of self-help books but I feel the content just isn't cutting it because I feel I don't deserve self-love, happiness etc when I never had gratitude for what I had, not thinking it through and destroying the solid foundation our child had.

Bee1998 Other girls make me feel threatened and insecure when i'm in a relationship
  • replies: 21

I have felt this way in every relationship I have had. The past two make sense, as I was cheated on by both partners, but I have been struggling with the same feelings in my current relationship. This has been the only healthy relationship I have had... View more

I have felt this way in every relationship I have had. The past two make sense, as I was cheated on by both partners, but I have been struggling with the same feelings in my current relationship. This has been the only healthy relationship I have had, and it frustrates me, because I'm with someone who I actually can trust for once in my life. It's not that I think my partner is cheating on me, it's smaller things that bother me, such as him wanting to have female friends, and being in an environment where girls are dressed provocatively and acting in a provocative manner. I don't know why these things bother me so much. I guess I am just scared of being abandoned, or that my partner will be sexually aroused by other females other than myself. I feel like I care about these things on a religious level (i'm not religious), but it seems to be the one and only thing that ever affects me while I'm in a relationship. I can't stand the thought of my partner dancing around girls in a club who are wearing next to nothing... The biggest concern for me is this one female friend he has, who he has been friends with since high school. She is the type of girl who would get satisfaction from stealing people's boyfriends. I know my partner wouldn't go there with her, but she does things that I feel are intentional, to get under my skin. For example, she was at my friend's memorial earlier this year. My partner was also there, as he went with me to support me. We ended up seeing his friend there, and this girl approached us to say hi to my partner, but completely disregarded my existence and didn't say hi to me. She gave my partner a hug and told him how much she missed him right in front of me. She later followed us over to the table we were sitting at and sat right beside my partner, so close that her entire body was up against his. (My partner and this girl were sitting opposite me). This made me really uncomfortable, and I was extremely angry because why wasn't my partner sitting next to me? He was there to support me after all, not for a high school reunion.... The whole time she was calling him pet names in front of me and not even talking to me or looking at me. Just continuously flirting with my boyfriend. My boyfriend went out with the same girl last night. She put up a story on instagram, which was a photo of herself in a skimpy crop top showing her cleavage and her nipples. I felt like she put that up to rub it in my face that she was with my boyfriend.

pvroom On the edge of wanting divorce
  • replies: 27

Hi, I have so many issues in my life but the biggest thing right now is that I'm so unhappy in my marriage. How am i supposed to know how to decide whether to separate or not? We have a 2 yr old and I cannot stand the idea of shared custody and hones... View more

Hi, I have so many issues in my life but the biggest thing right now is that I'm so unhappy in my marriage. How am i supposed to know how to decide whether to separate or not? We have a 2 yr old and I cannot stand the idea of shared custody and honestly, that is the main reason for staying together for me. He doesn't support me the way I need. He is so negative and unhappy himself but he won't do anything about it, he will just let it go on and on - both for him personally and in the relationship. I feel truly like I'm in a hopeless situation!

Julie_81 Anxiety over husband coming home...
  • replies: 10

I have been with my husband for 20 years and we have two children together. He has always been volatile and has mood swings, suffers from PTSD ect. I have always been the forgiving, placating one that says sorry and wants to stop the arguments and hi... View more

I have been with my husband for 20 years and we have two children together. He has always been volatile and has mood swings, suffers from PTSD ect. I have always been the forgiving, placating one that says sorry and wants to stop the arguments and his sometimes silent treatment. Lately after all this time of good and bad, ups and downs I feel that I can't do it anymore. I get extreme anxiety when he comes home from work, I work later myself so I don't have to come home. When I hear his car coming up the driveway I feel scared, I don't know what mood he will be in. I have to stop being myself and start pretending. I am walking on eggshells when around him and often say the wrong thing, which causes him to get angry. He has let me know that he will be having a day off and instead of being happy for him I feel angry as he has ruined my plans that I have made with my work, I will have to postpone them because he gets angry if I have something to do when he is free. I feel that I am slipping into depression, can't cope and overeating is my way of coping. I am overweight, which just gives him another way to put me down. I know that I am not perfect and I am sure that he has just as many complaints about me but I just don't know what to do. I am powerless as I don't want to talk to him about how I feel, don't want to have a marriage breakdown, put my children through hell... I am just stuck He works hard and I do love him but it is not right that I am feeling this way. All I want to do is sleep and do my own thing, the less I interact with others the better as I feel I am a failure and just don't want to get into an argument with him. Any advice would be appreciated, thankyou

vixstar Has anyone made the decision to not have children due to their mental illness?
  • replies: 3

I am in a stable and loving marriage and am getting to the age where the window for having children is very small.I suffer with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, OCD and depression and it has been present for much of my adult life. I am medicated and see... View more

I am in a stable and loving marriage and am getting to the age where the window for having children is very small.I suffer with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, OCD and depression and it has been present for much of my adult life. I am medicated and see a psychologist regularly.I have never been the type of person that needed to be a Mum more if it happened great if not then it’s not meant to be.As I get older my struggle with my mental health has been the driving factor in making the decision to remain childless. This life is not easy and even though a part of me thinks I would be a good Mum, I would never forgive myself if my child inherited my illnesses. I know firsthand it just makes things so much harder in an already difficult world.Even though I haven’t come to this decision lightly at times it still makes me sad with many intrusive thoughts about my relationship, loneliness, guilt and shame.It is hard to see friends with their families particulary at this time of the year and not feel some regret. I don’t discuss this topic with others as it is difficult for them to understand. Just wanting to know if there is anyone who is experiencing similar or may have also made the decision to not have children due to their own health. Thanks for taking the time to read this far.

Giggyy how do i deal with intense loneliness
  • replies: 5

my birthday is coming up and due to my autism I have never developed fulfilling relationships, I dont have anyone to spend time with and that won't usually bother me, except that this year everyone in my family has been reminding me how "sad" and "we... View more

my birthday is coming up and due to my autism I have never developed fulfilling relationships, I dont have anyone to spend time with and that won't usually bother me, except that this year everyone in my family has been reminding me how "sad" and "weird" I am for not having any friends and making my own birthday cake, it really made me think about how lonely I really am. I never really celebrate my birthday I just sit alone in my room, it makes me upset to come to the realisation that I truly don't have anyone close to me who cares about mehow do I stop feeling so bad about having no friends?

Suzie_Q Confused & feeling used
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I feel so stupid. I let a guy into my life, he said all the right things to make me think things would work out. He stayed over and since then I’ve barely heard from him and I feel his attitude has changed towards me completely. He suffe... View more

Hi everyone, I feel so stupid. I let a guy into my life, he said all the right things to make me think things would work out. He stayed over and since then I’ve barely heard from him and I feel his attitude has changed towards me completely. He suffers with his own mental health and I’ve always supported him but I don’t feel like that’s a good enough excuse to mess around with someone’s feeling especially when he knows how I feel about him. I was so heartbroken because I could feel him slipping away, I cried in my bed and found it hard to breathe. I feel like I’m not good enough even though he says I’m too good for him. I don’t know what to believe. I’m kind of tired of putting my all into this guy and getting nothing in return, I’m mixed between being sad and angry now. I’m drinking alcohol tonight which I don’t even normally do but I feel like it makes me sort of relaxed. I love this guy so much and really have for like 9 years.

mylove19 Depression
  • replies: 2

I have recently become estranged from my daughter. I had a very turbulent life as a child and never felt like I was loved or wanted. When I was pregnant I always said and told my unborn daughter I would never treat her like I was treated. I failed. M... View more

I have recently become estranged from my daughter. I had a very turbulent life as a child and never felt like I was loved or wanted. When I was pregnant I always said and told my unborn daughter I would never treat her like I was treated. I failed. My family never supported me as a single mum and bad mouthed me to my daughter at every opportunity. There has been no positive communication with my mother or sister my whole life. My daughter and I were to spend our Christmas Day together on Thursday. I had a lovely day organised but she stood me up. She had to have lunch with her boyfriends grandmother. Her boyfriend and her live with this lady. I was so hurt I lost it. I am so irrational. I can't control myself. She has blocked me on all platforms. I am beside myself with grief guilt regret hopelessness. I can't stop crying. I can't stop trying to find away to contact her. Im fairly sure I have lost her for good but I live with a small amount of hope. I also know me contacting her is pushing her away more but I can't stop myself. Im lonely alone and sick of burdening my friends with this revolving door relationship. I love her so much but am killing the relationship or have killed it. My pain is so bad I need to talk to anyone or anything- meaning this type of communication online. How do I stop the hurt? I don't want to harm myself but I do wish I just wouldn't wake up one day. To do that I need to sleep but that is impossible. I have devoted my whole life to her and now she has a new life with her boyfriend I feel unwanted and unloved. I'm completely unhinged. Thanks for reading

Emma_4376 Only child is gay
  • replies: 16

Hello, I am the single parent of an only child (aged 19) who is gay. I can't find any support while I'm adjusting to this news and no options come up when I google. Is anyone else in the same situation? Thank you.

Hello, I am the single parent of an only child (aged 19) who is gay. I can't find any support while I'm adjusting to this news and no options come up when I google. Is anyone else in the same situation? Thank you.