Different ways of thinking in a relationship
I have anxiety, depression and ptsd while my boyfriend has Asperger’s (he never ever talks about this). I’m struggling to handle things he says and does. He says very insensitive things and if I ask him to not say that he’ll reluctantly agree not too and then proceed to do it again at a later time. It feels like he never takes on board what I say.
He also struggles to understand my mental problems and is proud of himself for allegedly having none. It’s so exhausting pretending he doesn’t have Asperger’s and dealing with all his Asperger’s traits.
I don’t know how to accept the way he is and he doesn’t know how to accept my mental illness.
advice?
@erikah116762 This issue is very common in people in the autism spectrum. Communicating with them can be very challenging and they don't understand many of your mental problems. The first step is to understand it and not take it personally to avoid unwanted conflict. Then you could try to find a way to talk to them that makes it interesting for them. For example if an autistic person likes drawing, you can try to describe your feelings through this action. if they do a lot of programming you can use that to describe how you feel etc. Also, therapy is always a good idea to help you manage all these challenges, both with mental health and with your relationship. Also please don't hesitate to connect with a listener anytime you want to vent! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!