Is it time?
My bipolar S/O (25 f, on and off meds) that I’ve been with for a little over 3 years now decided to open up the relationship again about a year after the first time we tried it. The first time failed miserably. She says she wants more attention since my job keeps me from giving her the attention/affection she needs. I,(26 f) said no. Feeling that what I was doing was more than enough, and she just had too much free time on her hands since she doesn’t have a job. But after continuously asking for it for a couple weeks, I finally caved. We created boundaries and stated what we each wanted from this open relationship. Boundary 1) Don’t ask don’t tell. As long as we were safe, it didn’t matter what the other did since we agreed to do this. 2) Don’t make plans when we could be spending time together. Mostly meaning we would spend whatever time I have off with her. 3) No giving out our address. This is a safe space where we shouldn’t have to worry about “intruding” on each other. Now, she said she just wanted to talk to new people, but if they ended up kissing or more then that would be ok. I said, “Ok, but I’m strictly wanting to hook up with people. I’m not looking for friends. Just hook ups.” She assumed I meant with men, but I’m bi so when looking for people to hook up with, I went for men and women. Shocked that I was going for both, she started to get jealous. She continued her search for new people to talk to and sure enough she found someone that she kept around for a week or so until she broke the most important boundary to me. Don’t make plans during our time together. Obviously I was hurt and expressed how I felt. She stopped talking to her almost immediately. I never told her to stop. She made that decision herself. Then she said, ”I’m done, you can keep going, but I’m good on the open relationship.” I thought ok, cool. She got what she wanted. Now once I get what I want, I’ll be good too. So I continued talking to these people I matched, taking my time picking someone so I knew we would have a good time. After a couple days, I found someone to make plans with for a night. Had everything planned. Which bar to meet at, which hotel, how the bill would be split, how we pictured the night to play out, and what we liked. Everything was planned. A few times while I was talking to this guy, she asked me to stop. I said, ”No, it’s not fair for you to get what you want, then not let me get what I want. We agreed on this. You knew what I wanted from the start.” She said ok. Knew she was the one to cause this and had to let the consequences of her decisions play out. To let me keep talking to this man, and as soon as I got what I wanted, to stop talking to him. Then the morning before I’m supposed to meet the guy I was talking to, she begs me, crying, to not do anything because her mental health isn’t good and she that needs me. Furious, I agree and delete the guy from my phone. I’m livid. I’m livid at the fact that she didn’t keep her and of the deal and at the fact that she used her mental health to manipulate me. And this isn’t the first time. I know I’m gonna sound like an asshole but I’m exhausted dealing with her. I don’t trust what she says anymore. She’s manipulated me and my kindness one to many times. I love and care for her. I’ve handed her the tools she needs to start her healing and more. But it’s becoming clear now that she likes to play the victim. And I know she doesn’t have complete control over this, but it’s too much for me now. I’m brunt out. She used up all my patience all at once. I think it’s time. What do you think?
Posted May 22, 2022, 1:50 PM UTC