Self-Destructive Behaviour - ruined the best thing in my life
Hello everyone. This is my first post here. My story goes like this: I was always very emotionally vulnerable and naive. I always wanted to believe the best about people. When I was 16 I was raped by my boyfriend. At the time I didn't understand that it was rape - it wasn't a stranger in a dark alley, or drugs in my drink. I said no, but he just did it anyway, and for a long time I didn't understand why I felt so bad about it. You're meant to enjoy sex with your boyfriend, right? Anyway, the relationship grew more and more abusive. If I tried to leave him he would lock me in his room or pin me down. He controlled what I wore, where I went, everything.
I finally escaped when I went to university. He couldn't get me there, so I broke up with him over the phone. I felt so free. But by the end of second year I had developed depression and bulimia. Food was all I thought about. I would secretly binge, then make myself sick, then cry until I went to sleep. I got help, and my doctor put me on anti-depressants. It helped a bit.
I also started sleeping around a lot, sometimes 3 or 4 different guys in a week. Looking back, it was probably because I felt like sex was the only thing I was good for, and my self esteem was so low that if anyone wanted me - even just for one night - it felt good.
Slowly I overcame my depression, however, and began to value myself again. It was then, after getting my degree and starting my masters, that I reconnected with an old school friend and fell in love. He is wonderful, intelligent, and gloriously weird, and most of all, knows how to keep me calm and make me happy.
So what do I do? I cheat on him. I slept with someone. Terrified, I tried to tell him. I said I'd cheated on him, that I'd kissed someone. He asked if it had gone any further, and I just said no. I was so scared of losing him, and his forgiveness felt like something I could never hope to ask for, that I couldn't bring myself to tell him the whole truth, which is as bad as a lie. He forgave me for the kiss, but still doesn't know the whole truth, and it haunts me every second I'm awake, and sometimes in my dreams too. I don't know whether to tell him everything, which would destroy him, or just vow to never let it happen again and move on.
So I now feel like I am back at my lowest, constantly doubting myself and fearing the worst. I want to be strong, but sometimes I feel like the only thing stopping me from hurting myself is knowing that it would hurt him. My old eating habits are also creeping back. I'm alternating between 'you don't deserve to eat, you should starve' and eating so much I am sick.
Good morning sweet child of God. You first need to know you are a good person, and you are like us all...human. Mistakes are made but those mistakes don't need to define you. You have gone through a degrading experience that unfortunately helped form your lower sel esteem. Again, this doesn't have to dictate your future. You seem to try to run from happiness, maybe because you don't know what it is and feel you don't deserve it. That is your past speaking to your head, all lies. You had the strength to overcome a controlling and abusive person, which was so difficult and for some impossible. Gather that strength again, you have it in you, and don't let someone who hurt you in the past still control your actions. You have come so far, focus on your accomplishments and forgive yourself for this mistake you made due to you not feeling worthy of a loving, caring man. Ask God to help you, he is there waiting for your prayer. As far as confessing to your boyfriend, I believe it would not serve a positive purpose, only your future and good choices you made from here on in show your commitment to this man. Forgive yourself, like God forgives us. You have been through so much, don't fall backward....you deserve happiness. You are strong!!!
Thank you for your reply. It really means a lot to me that someone is here.
I think you hit the nail on the head with me running from happiness.
I can't even tell you how much it means for you to say I'm not a bad person. I am going to work towards believing that myself.
hi. going to religion wouldn't be the wisest choice. best to tell him and move on from the whole situation. he'll either move on or you'll keep chasing your tail. look at what you have. i'm 21 been unemployed since school. no masters, no degree. just bite the bullet and be strong. hell if you're commited to a degree then thats something right?..good luck
Skeever. Be strong for ur self , u r amazing and brave. Don't be upset hon. Keep going forward and just forget the past