Uncomfortable Truths

I have been almost to the point of obsessing the question of “why did I stay so long and fight for a relationship where I KNEW I was not being treated right.”  I came across a lot of articles and examples of dysfunctional relationships between narcissists and empathics.  I knew there had to be something to my other question, “why am I always in relationships with narcissists?” 

Then I found an article that sent me down a rabbit hole of self identification and  realization.  All day today I have had this on my mind and been pretty much on the verge of tears because of so many reasons surrounding it.  

“Co-dependency is a learned behavior that can be passed down from one generation to another. It is an emotional and behavioral condition that affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because people with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive.”

I can’t even begin to start on how this is hitting me.  So many things where I have seen myself as a certain way, has been turned on its head and I am viewing myself from a completely different light.  

-This is a learned behavior usually stemming from someone in the family who has addiction problems or physical disabilities.  

  So on this end, I had a mother who was not only addicted to opiates and speed but had physical disabilities that continued to worsen through her life.  I was also raised with an older brother who had mental and physical retardation.  I don’t know of any other way to be than to put others needs before my own.  Let’s throw in a ‘no dad’ complex and I think were set.  My mother herself being an obvious codependent was raised by a narcissist mother.  

“When co-dependents place other people’s health, welfare and safety before their own, they can lose contact with their own needs, desires, and sense of self.”

  I never consider my needs or wants first.  I’m hardly aware that I have any.  

“A person's self-worth may form around being needed by another person and receiving nothing in return.”

  Well this is the story of practically every romantic relationship I have ever had.  It makes me feel better to know that I am needed or wanted. Appreciation is a big thing with me and I don’t ask for much if anything in return other than a “hey, thanks” response.  Probably not too healthy on my end.  

“Codependents need other people to like them to feel okay about themselves. They’re afraid of being rejected or abandoned, even if they can function on their own. Others need always to be in a relationship, because they feel depressed or lonely when they’re by themselves for too long. This trait makes it hard for them to end a relationship, even when the relationship is painful or abusive. They end up feeling trapped.”

  This is the reason I have stayed in really shitty relationships.  I have a terrible fear of rejection and abandonment and I have always freely admitted this.  It strikes me as odd to be such an independent person, not relying on anyone for anything and have prided myself on doing so for so long but if I find value in someone and I feel I can be of service to them, I am eternally fearful I will be disposed of.  I’ve always been ok to be on my own, but I think when the addiction of having someone else around kicks in, my brain somehow goes into hyper drive of “WE CAN’T LET THIS GO!”

“Codependents also deny their feelings and needs. Often, they don’t know what they’re feeling and are instead focused on what others are feeling. The same thing goes for their needs. They pay attention to other people’s needs and not their own. They might be in denial of their need for space and autonomy. Although some codependents seem needy, others act like they’re self-sufficient when it comes to needing help. They won’t reach out and have trouble receiving. They are in denial of their vulnerability and need for love and intimacy.”

  Again.  I am hardly ever aware I have needs and wants because I get too focused on how someone else is feeling and how can I fix that because that is a priority.  My relationships have been such though, that if I do voice my wants and needs, I am most always rejected so what is the point in ever stating so to someone who ultimately doesn’t give a shit how you feel?

“Codependency creates stress and leads to painful emotions. Shame and low self-esteem create anxiety and fear about being judged, rejected or abandoned; making mistakes; being a failure; feeling trapped by being close or being alone. The other symptoms lead to feelings of anger and resentment, depression, hopelessness, and despair. When the feelings are too much, you can feel numb.”

  Eternally.  I almost don’t know what it feels like to not be stressing over something or someone.  

Characteristics of Co-dependent People Are:

• An exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of others
• I always feel responsible for the actions of others.  It’s always my fault.  Being told this constantly by narcissists really drives it home in a big way.
• A tendency to do more than their share, all of the time
• I have been known to do this, I just always feel if I can lessen the burden of someone else, it’s my duty to.
• A tendency to become hurt when people don’t recognize their efforts
• Oh fuck this is real.  I’m definitely not going to grandstand but if I go out of my way and make sacrifices too many times without being acknowledged with even a ‘thank you’ I take it extremely personal. I always knew I had some sort of martyr complex.  I always felt I could work on that but when you are in a relationship with a narcissist, there is a build up over time of bending over backwards for someone who wouldn’t do half as much for you and it hurts to not feel valued or shown appreciation. Really fucking hurts and if you missed or ignored all the ways and things I have done, you are going to fucking hear about it eventually.  
• An unhealthy dependence on relationships. The co-dependent will do anything to hold on to a relationship; to avoid the feeling of abandonment
• As I’ve stated.  This is what has kept me in some very shitty relationships where I even KNEW I wasn’t being treated right and I always glossed over it because it wasn’t MY needs that were important and that ever fearful presence of abandonment.  This is ultimately embarrassing in so many ways.
• A sense of guilt when asserting themselves
• I can’t stand conflict. I will do anything to avoid it and if it comes down to me standing up for myself, its usually when I am inebriated and pissed off because something happened to be the last fucking straw.  I always feel a deep sense of guilt and shame after this happens and I apologize constantly.  
• A compelling need to control others
• If I can control the outcome, I can not have to feel pain or fear.  
• Lack of trust in self and/or others
• Being with narcissists over the past ten years has definitely put some trust issues into me BIG time.  They always change the game, the same rules don’t apply to them, going behind my back...
• Fear of being abandoned or alone
• Difficulty identifying feelings
• I have always freely admitted this one.  I have to usually sit with my feelings for a time to figure out what I am feeling.  What I am ‘supposed’ to feel, what I display.  Whether the feeling is valid.  I tend to pop off at the mouth and say things I regret when I don’t take the time to process things.  Also a behavior unleashed when I drink too much and am pushed to anger.  
• Rigidity/difficulty adjusting to change
• I am a creature of habit. If I change my schedule and routine for you, its a BIG deal and I will become angry if it’s not noted that I have done this.  
• Problems with intimacy/boundaries
• This is a big one.  I haven’t wrapped my head around the intimacy part.  It’s something I crave deeply but don’t feel I have really ever had.  Especially in relationships with narcissists.  They have nothing to give as far as intimacy and want it all their way, on their terms.  If I voice my feelings on desires and needs, I have always been rejected and refused. It has led to only understanding superficial intimacy and the thought of even having real intimacy with anyone, literally terrifies me at this point.  
• I have huge boundary issues.  I have none.  I have never been taught what those were, how to implement them or what is appropriate for me. I am so used to people just taking, I would literally feel like an asshole for ever setting any.  
• Chronic anger
• I have been told by the narcissists in my life that this is a thing and I only see it when I am pushed to the point of frustration.  I will erupt and carry a grudge for even a lifetime but I also feel that this is something narcissists say when they are mad they aren’t getting their way and it ONLY happens when I stand up for myself.  Hence another reason to not do that, to let sleeping dogs lie...
• Poor communications
• Communication has been a big one for me. Growing up, I had NONE.  I had to learn how to judge peoples emotions and needs by watching and picking up body language, tone, certain things said.  Another big thing with narcissists though, is they do not like to communicate. They will label anything related to a meaningful conversation of feelings and values as an argument. I become “argumentative” when I say something has made me upset. I may have a tendency to go off at the wrong time in the wrong way, especially when I am drinking, so I will also shut down and not communicate because to me, its not worth the fight.

There are a couple more basically redundant trademarks of codependency and I mostly match all of them in some way or another.  

I can’t even begin to describe all the emotions that have been going through my head.  I am so angry at myself for being this way.  For not seeing it. I have literally wasted YEARS of my life on people who weren’t worth anything.  I have spent so long pushing myself down for the self implied benefit of others, that I have trouble even knowing who I am anymore. I have just been going with the flow of what I assumed was better for everyone else and I have completely neglected my own needs of intimacy and boundaries partly due to being told in so many ways, I don’t matter and partly because I believed that.  When I look back at how I have behaved and lashed out at others when any normal self respecting person would have just walked away, it tears my fucking heart apart.  I needlessly subjected myself and others to this massive force of drama that I don’t know how to contain or do away with.  That I want to control and make a fucking happy ending....

Codependents have addiction problems and I am no exception. I have always known I have an addictive personality.  The main goal is escape.  I always feel this deep desire to numb my feelings and a want to just ignore everything I can’t do anything about but obsess about.  

I am two and a half weeks sober as of now.  I want nothing more that to drown my sorrows in a big bottle of vodka or a couple bottles of wine.  Mostly I want all of these fucked up mistakes to go away.  

I honestly don’t know how I am going to tackle a lifetime of learned behaviors and to be honest, I am now even more fearful to repeat the same mistakes.  I suppose if my best friend was suffering from this, I would tell her that knowing is half the battle.  That mistakes are ok and you have to forgive yourself for making them.  Even if you can’t forgive others for how they treated you, and it never should have been allowed in the first place, awareness is going to be key now.  

I’ve got a lot on my plate now, certainly more than I bargained for and my patience is about to be tested to the maximum.

Finding Comfort

As I come around to using my intelligence over my emotions, I have tried to keep up with the system of every time I am thinking negatively, I have to turn it around or balance things out with a positive.  It’s not always as easy as it seems, but the effort is there.  So I figured it’s time to lay it out in front of me to really let things soak in.

Things aren’t all doom and gloom in my world.  While I have been circling this drain of depression and regret, I do have a lot going on that has my life feeling pretty fulfilling.

My job has been 8 years at the same location, building up my clientele from practically nothing to being booked out a week or two in advance and I am making more money than I ever have.  I was able to finally buy a new car this year and while I was originally squeamish about taking on a car payment and higher insurance, I’m totally able to swing it.  Keeping on top of my bills and able to afford little luxuries on a weekly basis.

My health is as good as anyone can hope for, while I have been dealing with a bulging disc and pinched nerve issues, it’s a slow process to heal that I have been working on.  I am currently two weeks into sobriety, save for a glass or two of wine here and there, as my alcoholism was beginning to take over my life and I had to stop it from ruining me.
I have alienated a lot of my friends, whether that is me or them I haven’t decided but right now I am in the mind frame of ‘well shit, I don’t want to be around me as Debbie downer, why should I impose that on anyone else?’  I got tired of constantly asking for time from people and they clearly aren’t interested so, I stopped asking.

I was making a mental list this morning of things I don’t have to worry about anymore having been rejected by a narcissist.  It goes hand in hand with wondering what I actually lost anyway. I still have these emotional meltdowns of being overcome by grief and sadness and it’s not anything I feel I have control over.  I hope that when my heart finally gets the message those times won’t come anymore.

I don’t have to go out and wonder if that is the night I will be insulted for no reason.  Or wonder if who we hang out with will change how I am treated.  I am not blowing money left and right on huge bills for dinner that includes copious amounts of liquor.  And while I was blamed for that happening to him, I always thought it was odd that when we were apart he still bragged about paying for astronomical nights out...
I don’t have to try to be helpful anymore and waste my time on someone that doesn’t appreciate it.  While at the time, I was glad to be helpful, I honestly thought it was being seen as worth something.
I don’t have to spend weeks before a holiday or my birthday wondering what little thing he was going to pick to create a huge fight.
I don’t have to be lied to anymore or be embarrassed to find out lies he had said about me.  I don’t have to come up with an idea for some thing to do and have him be negative about it the whole time because it wasn’t his idea.  I don’t have to be yelled at anymore because I don’t have suggestions of what to do or where to go....
“You always” and “you never” are things I don’t have to be subjected to anymore which were ultimately rude insults I took personally.
I don’t have to spend my time building up someone else’s ego and listening to their problems and being supportive while I got absolutely none of that in return.

There are plenty of reasons for me to be able to breathe a sigh of relief that I didn’t know I could until recently because I had focused so much of my time and effort on someone else.  I think a huge part of my sadness and anger that I feel is I can’t understand why I deserved to be treated as if I were so disposable.  Why wasn’t I worth half of anything I gave?  Why did he pretend for so long I was a part of his life and loved when it all came down in the end to my stupidity at not realizing I wasn’t.

I am once again, going to have some serious trust issues and it’s just going to take time for me to feel comfortable with myself once again.  I’m not looking forward to the loneliness but I’m not going to dive into any distractions.   At this point, I need to figure out what I want and make sure I am not stripped of my dignity ever again.

What did you lose?

I recently read part of a quote that said “don’t allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence.” And I have been trying like mad to make this my mantra.
I have battled against my emotions and actions for as long as I can remember and while I have gotten better for the most part, there are still plenty of times where I walk away from something even more furious, embarrassed or completely ashamed of how I allowed my behavior to take over.

The past few weeks have been a downward spiral of depression and self hate.  Of course it all has to do with the narcissist.
The last evening we went out, we had a nice time, he began the evening by venting about his mother, how much he hated her, how much of a shit show she is.  His brother asked him to help out with a living arrangement for her and he was flabberghasted that this would even be asked of him.  So he vented, vented to another friend, we watched the hockey game and no one became too drunk or obnoxious.
The MINUTE we step into his house, I let the dogs out, I open a beer and we start chatting about the evening.  All of a sudden, he tells me how he was just telling his brother the other day how much I was like his mother and how he hated that.  Hated every aspect of who I was and how I presented myself.
At this point I have completely shut down.  I am gathering my things, leashing up my dog and taking my leave.  I can barely see straight, I am so angry and confused.  I feel completely insulted and it came from out of nowhere.
I get home, try to call so I can ask in a non hostile manner why he did this.  He refuses to answer.  He sends a rude text.
I made a visit to the vodka bottle and reconcile with my passion trying to wrap my head around the question of ‘what. the. Fuck. ‘
This did not go well.
I spit out many emails railing on and on about how two faced and an asshole he is.  How his double standards are bullshit.  I hate that he lied to me. That he lied about me.  That he embarrassed me and made me look like a fool all in the name of him trying to make himself look good.  I know full well he leaves out the part of the story where he was insulting me or being a drunk asshole.

Two days later I get the text of his penis, and a message saying I should come suck it.  I can’t believe he would stoop to this, knowing full well what was going on between us.  How he told me he was cutting me out of his life completely for a few days so I can ‘calm the fuck down’.  I voice my opinion on how tasteless this is, and I am apologizing left and right for my drunken outburst.  He offers no apologies what so ever.  He is still so very upset that a week and a half before, we went out drinking and he began insulting me or as he said “making fun of you”.  I got drunk and told him I was upset because we didn’t have a good sex life.  I remember telling him “just because you have a big dick, doesn’t mean you know how to have sex” which was a stupid meme I saw.  The past four times we did have sex, it was me instigating it, him being done in under two minutes and he did not even care if I enjoyed myself with him at all.
I knew I should have picked a better time and a better way to bring this up, but when I am told I am not supposed to ask for sex, I have to seduce him, and then two weeks later, I am told the reason we don’t have sex more is because I don’t initiate it, it can be a little confusing.

I was angry.  I wanted him to hurt as much as I was.
I saw what was happening for the past couple weeks.  How he couldn’t bother to respond to my texts but couldn’t respond back to others fast enough.  Hiding the phone constantly, even to go pee.  Hiding things from me. Lying to me.  I guess men don’t think we see through the bullshit, but its instinctual.  He was garnering and giving attention to someone new because I wasn’t enough for him. All the while saying “i love you”. Asking me to help take care of his dog (which i later found out through him bragging to others, it was literally so he could go out drinking.).
When I responded unfavorably to the invitation to suck his dick, that I was hoping for a meaningful conversation about what was going on, because I was calling him out on his bullshit, and he didn’t like it, I was told “I don’t know what to say.  The only thing I can offer you at this point is a hate fuck”.
I threatened him that I would tell his ‘interest’ all about him, and what an asshole he was and his reply told me all I needed to know.
 He was pissed off that I would do that to him.
Not that there wasn’t anyone else, but that I better not.

I immediately went to my facebook page and deleted everyone that we were mutual friends with and deactivated my account for two weeks so I could process some hurt and not be accused of dragging his name through bullshit.

Last week he texted me out of the blue to ask me to take his dog because he couldn’t handle him anymore.
I was as polite as I could be and I told him that I didn’t appreciate him coming to me for this. That I knew he understood why I can’t help him.

This has all been phenomenally difficult for me.
It has been straight I up grieving, painful and ridiculous all around.
The first weekend in, I found myself in the bottom of a few bottles of vodka and I knew I couldn’t continue in that manner.  My self destruct mode was more than I could handle.

I couldn’t stop playing things back in my head.  How he accused me of not wanting him to be happy. When I pointed out all that I did, because I cared for him, thought of him in a loving way and supported him BECAUSE I wanted to see him happy and that was important to me, he told me I only did anything because I was ‘selfish and only trying to get him to love me.”

If someone else did something against him, or obnoxious when drinking it was deemed “endearing” or “funny”. I was held to a double standard where if I did it, it was unforgivable and I was a piece of shit.  He could get angry at me, insult me and put me down but if I stood up for myself, because Jesus Christ, I’m not going to allow myself to be treated like shit, it was grounds for never seeing me again.

This man who wanted nothing more than to talk about how awesome he is the whole night.  Tell everyone in the bar how amazing he was.  Listened to him and his friends talk constantly about the “glory days” when he sold coke and there were parties and strippers and booze everywhere.  This man who talked shit about me in his drunken sleep and talked of other women.  Who never complimented me. Who never felt the need to make me feel special but if I ignored him, all hell would break loose.  Who, when he wasn’t regaling everyone with how wonderful he was, was on his phone, texting and chatting to others.  I would only get an apology for ‘ignoring’ me if it was work related.  I never asked what was going on, but if I had a conversation on my phone in front of him, he was very quick to lean over and see who and what was going on.  

I always made so many excuses for him in my mind as to why he behaved this way.  It had to have been because he was from a broken home.  He clearly didn’t understand how to express love and respect.  He liked to brag to everyone else about the great things he did for his ex’s all the while I am sitting there, just coming off of a week of fighting because it was my birthday, a holiday, an anniversary and he would blatantly pick fights with me. I always expected it.  I figured maybe he was just one of those guys that doesn’t show their feelings. I was ok with that.  He didn’t know how to communicate, I worked with that.  I never expected anything from him and I never asked anything.  I learned a long time ago, I couldn’t even go to him to talk to if I had a bad day.  Me telling him I had a rough day led to him literally texting back and saying “ok, well, have a good night then.”  I voiced that this hurt, that I listened to him talk about his problems Every Fucking Day.  He said he didn’t want to hear mine, that I was probably just “bitching about what I always bitch about.”
He jumps through hoops to help other people that treat him like shit and use him.  Or if they have something of value he can use from them.  I told him I didn’t appreciate him being treated like shit and he agreed with me.  Then two days later, I am a ‘fucking bitch’ because I tell him his friends treat him like shit.

I kept making excuses. I kept believing him when he said certain things.  I had this feeling that there was more to him than he was showing.  I was willing to compromise all the time for his ego.  I gave him time, attention, support and more.
So to find out that he really is this monster, this person who literally does not give a shit about me and never has, was a hammer to the head.  There is no fucking way I could have done this for two years.  Looked up to him, wanted him in my life. Became completely vulnerable to someone who had no intention of reciprocating anything in a relationship.

Nothing.

How the hell could I have kept forgiving him for what he had done, why did I believe he was going to ever change?  To respect me?  To be proud of me and happy for me?  Why did only ‘hope’ keep me devaluing myself and allowing him to tell me I was worthless? Why did I fucking believe it?

I was forced to ask myself, why does this hurt so bad?  What exactly am I losing in this relationship? Where he talks bad about me, lies about me, to me.  Hides things because “I knew you’d use it against me” (then why participate in behavior you know is going to hurt someone who loves you???)

I lost my best friend.
And he wasn’t even a very good friend.
I lost someone to hang out with that was fun and even he managed to sabotage that plenty of times.  He talked of how I “just went crazy for no reason” which is a total and complete lie.  Why the hell would I just go off without being provoked?  Why can’t he admit of his faults?  I have always owned my shit.  I have many regrets.  I worked on changing my behavior and worked on making a relationship a success which was pointless considering, I was never valued in the first place but he allowed me to think I was.
I am angry. I am disappointed.  I am ashamed.  Angry at him because this is a terrible way to treat people.  He mistook my kindness for weakness. I am angry more at myself because I couldn’t just walk away from being treated like shit.  I had to fight for myself and stand up for myself, which again, pointless because I didn’t matter.

I am very well aware of this being completely my fault in that I allowed it to continue.  I am ashamed to have ever dated this “man”. I feel as if I have wasted two years of my life doing my best when it wasn’t valued.  I wish I had the strength and lack of empathy to have walked away a long time ago when I first did and he said later, “yeah, I don’t know why we stopped talking then.....”
Well I did.  I should not have thought he would be any different for having watched me walk away once.

I allowed myself to believe I wasn’t enough and too much from someone who wouldn’t piss on me if I were on fire because it didn’t benefit him.

I think I assumed after dealing with one narcissist, I would be able to emotionally handle another.  Like I was prepared.  That I had to believe the end result was going to be worth the sacrifice.

And I only ended up breaking my own heart.
It fucking hurts.