Aspergers relationship breakup

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unemployedwithphd
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12 Nov 2013, 11:59 am

NoDisguise wrote:
Very late to this thread so not really expecting a reply. I'm an aspie needless to say. I met a lovely NT lady online last year. She has her own anxiety issues but we overcame most of those together. We dated for three months -- a very intense loving relationship. Then we moved in together and everything fell apart. I couldn't cope with the sudden multiple changes, had a meltdown and came across as 'cold and heartless.' In one evening I destroyed everything and I've been in despair ever since. I so much want her back but she doesn't want to know. As someone mentioned earlier, NT's go for the 'no contact' option. She changed her email, blocked me on FB and ignored my texts. As far as I know she's still single but as far as she's concerned it's over permanently.
The guilt and loss is still eating me alive 10 months later and I can't move on.

Hopefully the OP has resolved the issue one way or the other by now, but I would say that Aspies don't always mean what they say or do, even if at the time they seem certain. We are often driven by circumstances and routine. We need more patience than most. Our intentions are usually good but delivering in a NT way can be close to impossible.
Any NT taking on an Aspie partner has to face that there are great rewards but also serious drawbacks.


Surprise! You are getting a reply. Remember the old saying "If you love someone, let her go. If she returns, she is yours, if she doesn't, she never was.

BTW I thought that I was the only one who used the term NT.

My GF returned when I had least expected it and had already moved on emotionally. She had to win me[b] back little by little.

You seem a bit obsessed as more time has passed since your brake-up than the time you were together. I would suggest not making any more efforts to contact her even if my chance you were to discover a way to do so. Perhaps finding a new obsession could help you move on.



micfranklin
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13 Nov 2013, 8:41 am

unemployedwithphd wrote:
I would like to share this experience I had. When my GF broke up with me I was devestated. I was depressed for two days. On the morning of the third day I could see that the sun was shining and I could here the birds singing and I put it behind me.

A few months later she left a note on my partment door. Two years after that we were married. Four years later my son was born. 9 years after the birth of my son we were divorced (this July).

BTW What is a meltdown?


What was the note about and how'd you get back together, if I may ask?



NoDisguise
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13 Nov 2013, 7:52 pm

[/quote)
Surprise! You are getting a reply. Remember the old saying "If you love someone, let her go. If she returns, she is yours, if she doesn't, she never was.

BTW I thought that I was the only one who used the term NT.

My GF returned when I had least expected it and had already moved on emotionally. She had to win me[b] back little by little.

You seem a bit obsessed as more time has passed since your brake-up than the time you were together. I would suggest not making any more efforts to contact her even if my chance you were to discover a way to do so. Perhaps finding a new obsession could help you move on.[/quote]

Thanks for the reply -- much appreciated!

In answer to your initial 'meltdown' question, I simply couldn't cope with all the sudden changes involved in moving in with someone and panicked. I told her it was over and I was going back to my place, which I regarded as safety. Her friends and family appear to have advised her to break contact but ultimately it was her decision.

You're right -- I am still a bit obsessed. The relationship was easily the most intense I'd ever experienced and we were genuinely in love. Her correspondence immediately after the break-up stated that very clearly and I already knew it myself when we were together.
I've discussed it with a couple of (female) NT friends and 'not getting over' a partner is by no means purely an Aspie thing. One of them is still pining for her BF two years on (the relationship lasted less than a year).
I haven't made any attempt at contact in over two months and have tried everything including dating others, working harder and even counselling.
In the absence of her returning, which I know is very unlikely by this stage, there's little more I can do. Ultimately if I do meet someone else I 'click' with, I need to be honest with them about my AS (to be honest I hadn't realised it could destroy a relationship so completely) and let them decide if the pluses (and there definitely ARE pluses) are worth the minuses.

Again thanks for the reply.



Bodyles
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13 Nov 2013, 8:39 pm

unemployedwithphd wrote:

Surprise! You are getting a reply. Remember the old saying "If you love someone, let her go. If she returns, she is yours, if she doesn't, she never was.


Funny, I always though that saying went "If you love something, let it go. If it doesn't come back, hunt it down and kill it." :wink: :P



1chocolate
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01 Jan 2014, 7:48 pm

NoDisguise wrote:
Very late to this thread so not really expecting a reply. I'm an aspie needless to say. I met a lovely NT lady online last year. She has her own anxiety issues but we overcame most of those together. We dated for three months -- a very intense loving relationship. Then we moved in together and everything fell apart. I couldn't cope with the sudden multiple changes, had a meltdown and came across as 'cold and heartless.' In one evening I destroyed everything and I've been in despair ever since. I so much want her back but she doesn't want to know. As someone mentioned earlier, NT's go for the 'no contact' option. She changed her email, blocked me on FB and ignored my texts. As far as I know she's still single but as far as she's concerned it's over permanently.
The guilt and loss is still eating me alive 10 months later and I can't move on.

Hopefully the OP has resolved the issue one way or the other by now, but I would say that Aspies don't always mean what they say or do, even if at the time they seem certain. We are often driven by circumstances and routine. We need more patience than most. Our intentions are usually good but delivering in a NT way can be close to impossible.
Any NT taking on an Aspie partner has to face that there are great rewards but also serious drawbacks.


I just read this and my blood ran cold because I seriously thought you were my (very recent) ex. He's Aspie, and I'm NT, we met online, have anxiety, etc, we had a very intense, loving relationship and I moved in with him after about 3-4 months (we broke up Sunday at 4 and 1/2 months). We went on a trip together, came back and we discussed me moving back out to give us more time to grow our relationship naturally and we both felt really good about that decision. Then less than 2 weeks later, this Sunday, he broke up with me. I still have all my things at his place and I'm staying with friends until my new lease beings and slowly moving out.

I am devastated and heartbroken and in my case, I'm the one who wants to get back together. I'm left wondering if it's even an option (he was completely convinced that we needed to break up because we keep having the same fight about politics, and its bitter and we completely disagree and get into arguments that turn into yelling, which is not good for him) but he's my best friend and I love him so much it's killing me. I'm waiting until all of my stuff is out of his place to try to reach out to him but I am miserable without him.



1chocolate
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01 Jan 2014, 7:51 pm

For all the people on the Aspie/doing the breakup side, is there any chance that he'll want to get back together? He's extremely stubborn and narrow-minded and know once he's made a decision, he's made it. We discussed getting him into therapy which he was on board for but we never made it - and now we're not together and I'm in pieces.



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01 Jan 2014, 8:41 pm

To the previous poster. Many men diagnosed with aspergers have many unresolved issues from the past. I believe this forum will prove this, as well as other subforums on this site. You may notice that many women on here deal with unresolved issues as well.

Many of us at one point or another were told that our feelings didn't matter by the people that we loved most. This can be a very devastating thing to have to deal with. Now also consider that in my experience that my parents didn't often make requests with me... They made demands. I was resentful with them for it. But i got over it.

There are certain things that may have happened in your partners past that may have made him feel unloved and unworthy of love. He may have felt like he won't be approved. Now when a good woman comes along and shows him love and he shows it back, he may become resentful, cold and distant the next day. This is not aspergers. This is unresolved feelings from the past. We may end up mistaking this as being aspergers.

When love comes into play, unresolved feelings may come into the picture as well. His unresolved feelings likely have nothing to do with you. However, his inability to deal with them will likely have something to do with how he expresses himself.

As for yourself. Do your very best to understand what happened. Do your very best to move forward and deal with these issues when they pop up.


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1chocolate
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01 Jan 2014, 9:07 pm

aspiemike wrote:
To the previous poster. Many men diagnosed with aspergers have many unresolved issues from the past. I believe this forum will prove this, as well as other subforums on this site. You may notice that many women on here deal with unresolved issues as well.

Many of us at one point or another were told that our feelings didn't matter by the people that we loved most. This can be a very devastating thing to have to deal with. Now also consider that in my experience that my parents didn't often make requests with me... They made demands. I was resentful with them for it. But i got over it.

There are certain things that may have happened in your partners past that may have made him feel unloved and unworthy of love. He may have felt like he won't be approved. Now when a good woman comes along and shows him love and he shows it back, he may become resentful, cold and distant the next day. This is not aspergers. This is unresolved feelings from the past. We may end up mistaking this as being aspergers.

When love comes into play, unresolved feelings may come into the picture as well. His unresolved feelings likely have nothing to do with you. However, his inability to deal with them will likely have something to do with how he expresses himself.

As for yourself. Do your very best to understand what happened. Do your very best to move forward and deal with these issues when they pop up.


I think that's very definitely true, and he absolutely suffers from unresolved problems in his past with family, etc. It surprised me that even with those things, he was so able to trust me and show me love and involve me so deeply in his life. I know that maybe his sudden rejection has to do with these issues, but I think the inability to see past me saying "wrong" things, not sharing his views on certain topics, etc, has to do with the Aspergers. That was the only problem in our relationship (we never ever ever fought about anything else).



aspiemike
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01 Jan 2014, 9:37 pm

Would you be able to give an example of a wrong thing being said?

I don't know if I can help much about the differing opinions on certain topics. It is possible that he just doesn't understand how to be supportive and listen when you need him too. I hope I'm wrong about that part though.


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1chocolate
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01 Jan 2014, 9:41 pm

aspiemike wrote:
Would you be able to give an example of a wrong thing being said?

I don't know if I can help much about the differing opinions on certain topics. It is possible that he just doesn't understand how to be supportive and listen when you need him too. I hope I'm wrong about that part though.


We have extremely different political views, and our 'discussions' always turn into arguments that get very personal. After several of these, he broke up with me impulsively and I was able to talk him down and make him see that what we had was worth working on the tunnel vision and communication issues he seems to have during these fights. This time it was particularly bad in his mind (or, in my mind, he had resolved to break up with me for real if this happened again) and after taking what I said (which he misunderstood) personally, insulting me and telling me to get out angrily, he calmed down hours later and told me it was for real. We literally had no other problems - we were madly in love, extremely affectionate, had plans for the future ... This was the one issue.



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01 Jan 2014, 10:03 pm

If I had to guess. Extremely different political views may include different religious views. Many people feel that a radical different view on these things will make for a problematic relationship.

If he were to suddenly break up like that, it would have to do with some sort of resentment being built up over time and him not expressing himself appropriately.

Something tells me the communication issue though was the real problem. You're absolutely right that it could have been worked on. I have a feeling the impulsive decision will be something he comes to regret. He won't apologize because he will fear that you will never forgive him for it. That is the part that is being a man. The impulse was a fight or flight response in my opinion. He likely knows he messed up.


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1chocolate
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01 Jan 2014, 10:09 pm

aspiemike wrote:
If I had to guess. Extremely different political views may include different religious views. Many people feel that a radical different view on these things will make for a problematic relationship.

If he were to suddenly break up like that, it would have to do with some sort of resentment being built up over time and him not expressing himself appropriately.

Something tells me the communication issue though was the real problem. You're absolutely right that it could have been worked on. I have a feeling the impulsive decision will be something he comes to regret. He won't apologize because he will fear that you will never forgive him for it. That is the part that is being a man. The impulse was a fight or flight response in my opinion. He likely knows he messed up.


We had these fights before and we talked about going to therapy which he was on board with. I already forgive him, I think this is a huge mistake and I still want to be with him. I'm trying to give him time and space so he hopefully comes to see it's a mistake and if I try to talk, he'll be open to it but I'm just so doubtful.



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01 Jan 2014, 10:26 pm

Yeah. He needs to come to you. That much is for sure. I'm afraid that if you message him, he might not reply in a kind or loving manner. Im hoping that you aren't dwelling on this too much and are getting out and doing something that makes you happy at least


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1chocolate
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01 Jan 2014, 10:54 pm

aspiemike wrote:
Yeah. He needs to come to you. That much is for sure. I'm afraid that if you message him, he might not reply in a kind or loving manner. Im hoping that you aren't dwelling on this too much and are getting out and doing something that makes you happy at least


I want to make it clear to him that I'm open to him coming to me, but I know I can't push. I am definitely dwelling (and dealing with a huge fallout re: I lived with him) and I'm completely heartbroken, but thank you.



NoDisguise
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28 Jan 2014, 7:18 pm

1chocolate wrote:
aspiemike wrote:
Yeah. He needs to come to you. That much is for sure. I'm afraid that if you message him, he might not reply in a kind or loving manner. Im hoping that you aren't dwelling on this too much and are getting out and doing something that makes you happy at least


I want to make it clear to him that I'm open to him coming to me, but I know I can't push. I am definitely dwelling (and dealing with a huge fallout re: I lived with him) and I'm completely heartbroken, but thank you.


Hi 1chocolate

Sorry I don't visit the site much and have just noticed your reply and the similarity to my own situation. I do hope things have resolved with your former partner, either a reconciliation or an acceptance that has brought you peace of mind.

Aspie men can of course be very different. From your Jan 2nd posts, it seems yours prefers to make a clean break, whereas I'm the opposite -- over a year on I would still do anything to have my GF back, even though I know there would be huge problems to overcome if it ever happened.

I suspect I can offer you little practical help as we both appear to have similar roles in respective relationships, but you have my very best wishes for the future.



LoveHim
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10 Mar 2014, 1:04 pm

i have had 2 periods of long term no contact with my aspie. one for 8 months, one for 12 months. now, we're hanging out again as if the last 12 months just flew by without any hurt feelings. he just lets go of me when he's stressed/angry and deletes me and then just comes back to being affectionate and loving when he's ready. it's a yo-yo ride for sure but we can't seem to just break apart and never see each other again. it was 8 months off, 4-5 very intense months on, 12 months off and now 1 month back on. who knows. we both agreed that being in each other's lives is difficult but being apart is worse.