’24 F’ have been struggling to express myself to my boyfriend ’23 M’ without him shutting down on me. What’s a better way to approach the situation?

r/

I ‘24 F’have been in a relationship for over 2 years ‘23 M’. I will say this relationship is a roller coaster due to the adventures it takes me in. My boyfriend is autistic and selectively mute, which usually gets triggered with anxiety.

I’ve had to deal with a lot of patience since whenever he shuts down, he can’t talk because of his anxiety, so I try my best to always uplift him and let him know I am here for him. I will say I get frustrated sometimes, and I do try my best in apologizing because I have to also understand it’s not his fault. Well, lately I feel like he enjoys seeing my emotions, whether it’s negative or positive, and as an emotional person, I do show them.

So today I was bored and wanted to play Fortnite, in which I’m really bad and he isn’t, but I enjoy playing it especially with him. He wanted to join me on a creative, so I thought why not 1v1 since we tend to have a blast even doe I get destroyed by him. Well, for some reason, he was kinda annoying me because he just kept using overpowered weapons and killing me in one shot. I got annoyed so I told him how it made me feel but he was laughing at me raging so once I said “stop it or else I’m going to hang up” he then kept mocking me and repeatedly say “nana na boo boo” in which I hung up but he would sent me text saying the same thing and was saying it on game chat…

I was getting fed up because I felt like I was being made fun of, in which I joined back into the call and told him, “Stop it, you’re annoying me, like I’m not having fun.” he then shut down and left the call. This has been a repeated cycle where he pushes my buttons on purpose and I tell him he’s upsetting me, which then always leads him to shutting down and not wanting to address the problem…

I sometimes feel like I’m walking on eggshells because even if I start expressing what makes me upset, he just won’t talk to me until he’s ready to talk, and when he’s ready to talk, he wants to not address the topic. I really need some advice on what to do I’m genuinely at my last straw and I’m lost on what to do.

Comments

  1. Nige78 Avatar

    He should be the one taking steps to make you comfortable surely.
    You are not obliged to stay.

  2. skeeballbob37 Avatar

    so when you are unhappy somehow you have to comfort him????? Im sorry but that is no way to have a healthy relationship where you are fulfilled or happy.

  3. gradstudentmit Avatar

    If he shuts down and never follows up, that’s not communication.

    Set a clear line: “Take space, but we talk after.” If he won’t, that’s your answer.

    You can’t fix this alone.

  4. DearFeedback280 Avatar

    What’s the upside to this relationship? You’re too young to settle