Am I horrible for doubting my relationship because my boyfriend got a piercing?
Would I be the asshole for breaking things up over a piercing? So I know this sound silly but I (F on my 30’s) been with my boyfriend (M on his 30’s) for a few years. We had a long pause and he never stopped chasing me so we’ve got back together and we’ve been together for about a year.
For some context: We’ve had our ups and downs like any other couple, but before our pause I was a very different person, more complying, then I had some horrible stuff happen and we could say I grew a backbone or at least I’m trying to. This has created a new dynamic on the relationship because he has always been the kind of person that does whatever he wants and I used to be ok with that even if his choices affected me but now I’m not and I tend to speak up which ends up in an argument.
Now the issue: Last weekend we were at an event and there was a piercing party going on. He knows how much I don’t like them and I have nothing against people that have them is more like a sensory issue? Touching them or seeing them from close generates me a reaction kinda like trypophobia. I’m not sure why but they do, I just don’t want to be near them. It’s like the concept of a foreign object inside the body that causes me this. I again don’t know why, normal earrings don’t cause me this (again I’m not touching them but they don’t make me that uncomfortable). He has always known this, I’ve told him before that if he got one I would absolutely feel uncomfortable but it’s his body and there’s nothing I can do. Long story short he got one, he even made me hold his hand while he did which to me felt like torture and I didn’t wanted to see that. He got it in a very visible spot on the face that I cannot unsee. I was hoping they would say something at his job but turns out he’s ok.
I feel very bad because now I cringe whenever I look at him, I don’t want to kiss him and if I do I force myself and it’s very unpleasant I’m afraid of touching it. He is so happy he got it but I’m honestly having a very hard time. I cannot control how that tiny piece of metal makes me feel like I even want to puke sometimes…
So now I’m questioning our whole relationship. Like I know for a fact that he has his own sensory issues and for example I’ve stopped wearing certain fabrics that make him uncomfortable even if they are some of my favorite dresses and in general as a girlfriend I don’t mind making tiny sacrifices here and there to make him comfortable because that’s what for someone looks like right? I just think of this action as incredibly selfish because yes is something that makes you happy but you’re sacrificing my ability to feel comfortable around you in the process. And that gets me tho king about everything I’m doing to maintain a relationship that in the past didn’t work out and needs effort to work. I feel things are now balanced and stated noticing other times and actions where he only cares about himself. I’m at an age where I feel like I’m running out of time to have a traditional family as a woman and I don’t know if staying with someone who doesn’t put my comfort first like I do is a smart idea. I don’t know what to do or how to talk to him about it without seeming controlling. I don’t care about what he does with his body he even has a bunch of tattoos and I don’t mind those is just the foreign object thing that is driving me crazy and questioning my relationship as a whole.
Posted Sep 11, 2025, 4:49 PM UTC