• CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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    10 months ago

    So she’s complaining about sensitive guys, but also doesn’t want them to be emotionally distant.

    Basically wants the guy to do the “emotional labour” but not do any herself.

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      How to phrase this…

      Women’s behavior towards men’s emotions is like…it’s their very very favorite TV show, but they hate almost all of the episodes. They want you to be emotional, they want you to be in touch with your feelings…until you actually do, and she throws the remote through the screen because it’s not one of the very few episodes of this show that she likes.

      There are words I just don’t say out loud in any context anymore because of this. “Love” is one of them. One of my exes would throw a three act opera of a shit fit if I said something like “I love jalapenos on pizza” because “You’ll say you love PEPPERS but not ME!” Well yeah, Tiffany; 1 because the word has different meanings when applied to food vs applied to a person, and 2 we’ve been dating for five weeks at this point; I’m still in the stage of trying to determine if you’re sane enough to get serious with, and early exit polls aren’t looking very promising." So I say things like “I really enjoy jalapenos on pizza” and I sound like a cyborg but I’m not sitting through another fucking meltdown like that.

    • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Emotional Labor is for the individual to do. If you feel like you need help, that’s what a therapist is for. Do you expect a gf to be your therapist? Sharing and expressing feelings is a normal part of a relationship, but expecting your SO to also be your own personal therapist is completely unhealthy. Everyone has their own emotional Labor to do, why should anyone else (who’s not a therapist) be expected to do yours?

      • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        Everyone has their own emotional Labor to do, why should anyone else (who’s not a therapist) be expected to do yours?

        Because part of a healthy relationship involves sharing with your partner and helping them through their struggles, emotional or otherwise?

        • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Sharing and expressing feelings is a normal part of a relationship, but expecting your SO to also be your own personal therapist is completely unhealthy

          I literally said that. The difference is sharing your own progress in a healthy way compared to expecting your SO to do the progress for you

      • jackoneill@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        uhhh, yeah, my wife and i try to be the best therapist we can be for each other. not wanting to do that for the person you love seems weird to me.

        • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          I’m talking about an unhealthy codependency that can happen when someone with a developed fight-response pairs with someone with a developed fawn-response. It sounds like you two have a healthy relationship where you can discuss each other’s problems with each other freely. Which is good.

          Personally, no I wouldn’t expect my partner to unravel my own personal cPTSD for me. I would work on it myself and with a therapist need be. Discussing my progress and thoughts on my own cPTSD and hearing my partner’s is a healthy thing to do.