retroactive jealousy (mentions sexual activities)
I've been with my boyfriend for almost 7 months and i still can't get over the fact that he's had multiple sexual partners in the past - more than I have. He's been part of hook up culture whereas I was in long-term relationships and personally i don't think i could ever have one nights stands because of the emotional connection attached to sex. So i can't help but think that he doesn't see sex on a spiritual level as i do and that he doesn't feel any different when it comes to me, as his first serious and long-term girlfriend. I mentioned this to him a lot of times and he promises that he feels so connected and so attracted to me and that i'm all he wants and that. Despite all of this, i still think that maybe he misses going to random parties and messing about, or that he thinks of other people when he's with me. There's been times when i felt uncomfortable when him and i were being intimate because i couldn't stop thinking about his past experiences, or that he thought someone else was prettier than me or had a better body. It got to a point where i had anxiety attacks when he mentioned us going to his home country just because i know he's had a few hook ups or friends with benefits there. He always talks to me about his country and his desire for me to meet his grandparents and go dance with me and take me to the beach, all in all very relationshipy things which are very very sweet - but all i can think about is what if he takes me somewhere where he's been with other girls in the past? or what if we see those people and they're going to look at me like 'oh i did things with your boyfriend'? We're both very jealous and, when we first got together, he told me he was experiencing retroactive jealousy too because he couldn't bear to think about me being intimate with other people. Recently, his jealousy has gotten a lot better and i asked him how and he simply said that he came to terms with the fact that he can't change my past and he truly sees himself being with me long long term.
But why doesn't it work for me? I'm asking myself if i would want to be with anyone apart from him and the answer is obviously no, so i should believe him too. But i've been through major and ugly heartbreaks when people have told me things like 'you're the prettiest girl i've ever seen' then cheated with someone that was the complete opposite of me so it's simply hard for me to trust my current boyfriend 100% when he says he only wants to be with me. He's truly so special for me and i don't want to ruin our future plans just because i can't get over something that he did before we even spoke to each other.
hey diana1905, let me start by saying this, dont let your past experiences define your future ones, we all have a past, we all did or said things differently before we met our *other half*, you seem to have a good idea on this as you said it was before you 2 even met, we cant hold what we did in our past against our ourselves or another, the fact that he found you looking to change tells me he not only wants to change but that he needs it, sex is supposed to be the one of the best things about life not the worst, its a connection on a level deeper than physical like you said and sometimes we all may have or wanted to act out in that manner for one reason or another like your boyfriend did, but i would choose to trust him for now until you have a reason not to, jealousy can from a healthy place too, its not always toxic like we all have seen or experienced, sometimes jealousy comes from past pain and caring. try to imagine it from his side, he lived life one way before you and now hes trying a better way, this is probably strange for him as well, maybe even embarrasing, so try to have some patience and compassion for his situation too, and above all talk to him when he wants too but dont push, or he might see it as being attacked if he isnt ready or comfortable. but remember jealousy even out of a caring place can come off to someone else as toxic depending on their own experience of it in the past
@caleb8704 thank you so much! truth is, i've never looked at the situation from the perspective that this is a change for him too. this helped me a lot:)
diana1905 your welcome ! just glad i could help