Too many anxieties to count
Hi, I hope it's okay to write this kind of stuff here, if it's not please let me know. I'm 30, mentally ill, and living with my female partner of almost 2 years. I am likely agender/nonbinary but generally present as female just as it is the gender i was assigned at birth. I experience dysphoria and dysmorphia every day. I've always known I was queer in my attraction to people of any and all genders, but only started realizing my personal gender stuff about 5 years ago. I'm still very confused and lost and it's distressing. I have always had a lower sex drive than others, but I no longer want to have sex with my partner. We never did it a lot to begin with but I'm too anxious to initiate anything at this point. It's a mix of panic and anxiety I'll panic in the middle of it, guilt and shame from past relationships, fear of messing up again/being bad at sex with a woman (she's not the first girl I've had sex with but the first where I've hurt her accidentally multiple times with a finger nail or just doing the wrong thing at the wrong time or wrong way and it's traumatizing to make those mistakes), and my dysphoria/dysmorphia. She usually will orgasm when we have had sex but at this point I'm barely touching her and the guilt I feel is immeasurable. I can only orgasm with a vibrator (and a lot of effort) and I know that bums her out. Its very confusing because my mind is still sexual, just not my body. Like, I can read erotic writing and I love it and my brain thinks it's what I want, but when I'm faced with sex in real life at this point I'm just not interested in the slightest. I find my gf beautiful but I don't want to have sex with her when I'm faced with the opportunity. My gf wants to get married and buy a house even though I struggle with commitment constantly (not cause I want to cheat but because I'm scared to be permanently attached to someone. I'm afraid of being trapped.) I've only had 2 long term relationships, including this one, and both I felt a similar way. This idea that I'm trapped. When I dated more casually, still monogamous but not "official" I was a lot more comfortable because there wasn't any pressure. I feel so much pressure to be everything for my gf and the fact that I'm not makes me feel like a huge failure, that she's wasting her time, i'm filled with doubt and am always worried we'll break up if we have a fight. I have lots of panic attacks, and have had for as long as I can remember, and have severe clinical depression and anxiety. I'm drowning. Moving in with my gf was terrifying, it's still terrifying and it's been a few months. I didn't feel ready but it happened, and I feel trapped even now. I've told her that I don't want to get married yet because it gives me great anxiety, and I know she's disappointed I don't want to buy a house right now. Im just terrified of making the wrong decision, I don't trust myself to know what to do in any area. I don't know who I am anymore and it's effecting everything in my life. I'm behind for my age, and in my heart all I want is a house and to feel safe and secure and stop moving around. But I can't tell if my hesitation right now is because of my anxiety to commit to things or if it's because I know inside she isn't the right person for me. I genuinely cannot tell what this feeling is. My thoughts constantly fill me with doubt and it's drowning me. I'm afraid to leave a relationship that actually is the right one, but I'm also afraid of staying in one that makes me unhappy. My mom is still with my dad and I know she was unhappy for a huge chunk of my life, but stayed for the kids, and even though they're happy now it was so hard to watch as a young person. I'm so scared of being trapped with someone and being unhappy - that I'm feeling trapped and unhappy even though I could technically leave at any time. But I genuinely feel like I cannot leave though, I don't trust my decision making ability and I don't trust myself to know how to do anything. I dont know if the sex issue is a bigger issue with my identity, my sexual past, and heavy depression, anxiety and medication, or if I would feel different/better with someone else. Sorry for this being so long and confusing, I'm awake in bed as she sleeps next to me, and I am being smothered by my anxiety and guilt. (Something that happens more often than it should). If you've read this long, thank you, and also sorry.
That must be really hard to cope with. Writing down things may help clarify your thoughts. Be logical and methodical. Sort out things into what's important and what's not. If you have things you want to improve make a list. Communication with your partner is key