Is he pushing me away or just overwhelmed?

It’s been a week since my boyfriend (31M), who I met at the beginning of the year, became emotionally distant. No calls, barely any texts. When I finally heard from him on Friday, he just said he’s sorry he’s not communicating well and that he’s taking time for himself because he’s stressed. But he didn’t say what’s stressing him, didn’t ask how I’m doing, didn’t open up, or try to connect. Just that.

He did mention last week that he needed to get himself a new car, and I guess things aren’t going as planned — but we always assured each other that even in challenging times, we’d stick together and keep the communication going.

I (25F) feel really hurt and confused. I’ve been trying to be understanding, but it’s starting to feel like I’m the only one emotionally invested. I’ve sent him several encouraging texts letting him know things will be okay, but he just ignores them.

I’m stuck in this weird place of caring deeply about him but also feeling totally shut out. It’s painful to feel so alone while technically still in a relationship.

Part of me wants to wait until he’s stable and ready to talk again. But another part of me feels like I need to move on for my own peace. I don’t want to keep holding on to something that hurts this much. I find myself crying and wondering if he stopped loving me — if he’s indirectly pushing me away.

Has anyone else dealt with a partner going silent like this? I understand we all deal with stress differently, but why would he handle it this way? Doesn’t he think I might walk away — that he could lose me if this goes on?

I’ve tried to show him that I’m understanding and that I want to support him, especially because he supported me during my difficult moments over the past few months.

What do I do?