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Confused...

 
 
luv2luv
 
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 06:15 am
My boyfriend and I have been having some relationship problems lately and I need help understanding what is going on.

Let's start from the beginning...

This past weekend I found pornography on my boyfriend's phone. And before you assume I'm a typical girlfriend who spies on her boyfriend, understand the situation. We were in an area where I get poor signal, so I used his phone to look up a car online. Well, when I clicked on browser, the porn website was up.
**Please, spare me all opinions of how you or society views pornography.**
In the past, he assured me that he hadn't looked at it since we've lived together, but that's obviously not the case. I confronted him about it asking why he lied to me. He had no definite answer for me, except that he knew I'd be upset and he didn't want to be embarrassed.

Not a huge deal, porn is porn. But it made me think about the fact we haven't been having sex like we used to. We used to have sex 2-3 times/week, but now we have sex maybe once/week or once every week and a half. Anytime I approach him or come on strong, he almost always says, "I'm tired." He has time and energy for all the activities he wants to do, but when it comes to sex, he rarely has the drive or motivation. I've tried everything from being very sexual, wearing revealing clothing, sexy lingerie, making obvious moves, taking it slow, trying to "fuel the fire" in other places in the house, grabbing him sensually, sending flirty messages, being spontaneous... You name it, I've tried it. But no matter what, he's almost always tired. I take pretty good care of myself and show him in more ways than just sexually that I desire him. I also tend to have the sex drive of a male, so I get pretty bummed out when he turns me down. He only seems interested in me when he wants it which is rare anymore. He will sometimes try to have sex with me the day after he rejects me, but then it feels forced. It's as though we have to go at least one week without having sex for him to have the drive for me. I understand that porn takes less effort, less work, but when there's a possibility it's interfering with your partner at home, then I feel there's a problem. Or, I could be wrong and it could be related to something else.

So, not only is he less interested in sex, but he for the first time in our relationship, showed a sign of jealousy possibly...

Yesterday my boyfriend took me to dinner and on our way he told me he checked my internet history. He told me he saw that I clicked on several different pages of male friends. I explained to him that what he saw was my message history (not actual profile views) and that if he really looked at it, he would have seen all of my messages (including ones from females and gay friends) were in that same history. These messages date back to 4+ years ago.

I asked him why he felt it necessary to check my history. He said he was worried because I posted two pictures of myself on Facebook and was receiving "attention for it." The two pictures I posted were from the neck up and were of me with some makeup on. I rarely post pictures (or anything) to Facebook and my most recent profile picture was from 2012. As I stated before, I take care of myself and wear makeup fairly regularly, but because I looked "dressed up," I decided to snap a few shots and upload them.

The attention he was referring to is about the guy who messaged me. I signed onto Facebook and it said I had a message notification. He was looking at my screen when I signed in, so he saw the message and said, "Who are you talking to?" I've never, nor did I, have anything to hide so I showed my boyfriend the message... but he acted weird about it. The message was from a guy I went to high school with. He made no reference to me or my looks, but asked me about my brother playing sports this year. (He is an assistant coach and we spoke last year about my brother playing). When the guy asked me how I was, I explained that I was doing well, spending most of my time with my family and my boyfriend. Again, even though there was absolutely no discussion about me personally, I threw the boyfriend card out there. I do this with everyone I speak to, even women.

My boyfriend explained to me that earlier that day he spoke to one of his coworkers about my internet history. His coworker told him he had been cheated on twice before and that what he saw on my computer was nothing to worry about. What bothers me is that he'd immediately go to a coworker, a guy he's known less than 1 month, about a relationship question/issue without talking to me first. My boyfriend and I have always agreed that we don't speak to people we encounter regularly (friends, family or coworkers) about each other in a negative way because society as a whole is more likely to remember and judge based on negative things, not the positive. (Yes, I'm discussing this in a forum, but you all do not encounter my boyfriend and I personally everyday). And I'm asking for advice in this setting because I do feel it's important to keep intimate negativity from my family and friends. They already try to pry so much into my personal life, so I pride myself on keeping my relationship issues private from them.

So, hopefully the pieces of the puzzle make sense.
1. He's not interested sexually, regardless of my efforts.
2. He's checking my internet history.
3. He's, for the first time, showing signs of jealousy.
4. He's discussing our relationship with someone personal.
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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 635 • Replies: 8
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Frank Apisa
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 06:28 am
@luv2luv,
Gonna make this short and sweet:

One...dump the guy. All the signs point to a bad choice here.

Two...grow up a great deal. Actually mature a bit.

Three...after maturing a bit...find another relationship with someone else who is mature.

In between, since you seem to have a decent sex drive...start a few relationships that are sexual and casual, rather than commitment, relationships. Sow your wild oats. Live a bit...it will help you mature. A boy toy...or man toy...can be a huge help doing that.
Frank Apisa
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 06:30 am
@Frank Apisa,
Oh one other very important thing:

Stay as far away as you can from any guy who does not enjoy porn! That guy will be major trouble.
0 Replies
 
luv2luv
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 06:39 am
@Frank Apisa,
Not really sure where "grow up a great deal. Actually mature a bit..." comes from, as I am asking for someone to help me understand his behavior. All forms of input are still appreciated, even if they're just for show and not getting to the question at hand.
Frank Apisa
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 06:43 am
@luv2luv,
luv2luv wrote:

Not really sure where "grow up a great deal. Actually mature a bit..." comes from, as I am asking for someone to help me understand his behavior. All forms of input are still appreciated, even if they're just for show and not getting to the question at hand.


Don't be angry...I was getting to the question at hand. You may be having a bit of trouble understanding the question yourself...since you are focused on HIS behavior.

Far more important is YOUR behavior.

I'm not going to argue this with you...we'll hear what others have to say. But the tone of your inquiry indicates to me a level of maturity less than is needed for a serious relationship.
luv2luv
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 06:56 am
@Frank Apisa,
Maturity isn't a question when you do not fully know either party or where they are in life. You're entitled to reply with implications that were not stated or addressed in the forum, however, I'm looking for assistance in understanding male behavior. I understand my behavior and am self-aware. But because I'm not him (nor am I a male), I am trying to understand what could cause these things to happen.

These are just examples/possibilities:
e.g. He's not interested in the relationship. (And explain why...)
e.g. He could be stressed. (Explain how stress affects males...)
e.g. It could be nothing. (Share an experience...)

Again, I'm reaching out for assistance with real-world male behavior. I have no ill feelings towards you or anyone that replies.
0 Replies
 
jespah
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 07:33 am
@luv2luv,
What I'm more concerned about is that he seems to be checking out of the relationship, yet also bound and determined to keep you on a short leash.

This is not going to end well, or prettily.
0 Replies
 
CoastalRat
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 11:27 am
@luv2luv,
I believe porn, in most cases, is detrimental to a healthy sexual relationship. For many guys (I did not say all or even most, although I believe it to be most) porn gives them an unrealistic view of sex. They end up projecting what they see into what a good sexual relationship should be and that just is not the norm. And without getting long-winded here, when the reality does not match the perception, they may find it more exciting to use their imagination and substitute masturbation for the real thing.

If that is what is happening here, keep in mind it is not anything you are or are not doing, it is simply that nobody can match his expectations which he bases on the porn he regularly watches.

It is why, unlike Frank, I think finding someone who does not view porn regularly would be a smart move. After all, doesn't it cheapen your relationship to him when he would rather get off watching porn instead of with you? Ask yourself what that says about how he thinks of you. I could expound further on the affects of porn, but I'll let a few links do that for me just so you know I am not simply blowing smoke here. (I've tried to pick links that do not seem to come from a religious organization since some might write those viewpoints off just because they were not scientific.)

http://www.livescience.com/20684-porn-relationships.html
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/sex/2011/05/does-watching-porn-affect-intimate-relationships-part-one-men/
http://theresurgence.com/2011/11/19/7-negative-effects-of-porn
http://goodmenproject.com/health/how-porn-can-ruin-your-sex-life-and-your-marriage/

I do agree with Frank that I think you need to reconsider your commitment to the relationship. You are concerned about his porn habit and so I have to believe that he may have a problem based on his seemingly lack of desire to be intimate with you. The jealousy issues he is having also indicate a lack of trust for whatever reason. And it is my very strong opinion that without trust, a relationship is doomed.

So yeah, you might want to think about ending things. Or you could try to get him to go to counseling together so you can discuss why his behavior is troublesome to you (the counselor being a disinterested third party who might be able to objectively talk to him about the problems with porn.) Whatever direction you take, good luck to you.



luv2luv
 
  1  
Reply Fri 9 May, 2014 01:12 pm
@CoastalRat,
Thank you so much for your feedback. Those websites were extremely helpful, seeing as to how it doesn't use religion as a basis. I've spoken to him about it, in length, but he sees it as no big deal. My biggest concern is his lack of desire for me and how it coincides with his porn watching, but of course he states it doesn't change his sexual desire for me. I've never had an issue with porn until it affected our intimacy. If his behavior continues, I will direct him to these sites. It may or may not help, but he doesn't believe therapists are credible, so it gives me some ammo.

I want us to work because we have an incredible relationship. We were great friends before we dated, so we took the time to develop a bond. He's the only person I can relate to and have an intellectual conversation with. (There are very few, unique choices in men where I'm at. I'm in a small town with no choice or options to relocate). Anyway, there are tons of other qualities that I won't go into detail about, but this problem is huge considering we have such an incredible bond otherwise.

Again, thank you for your help. I appreciate it so much.
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