Partner (30m) seems to only be in it for the good healthy days, not the sickness or messy days and I’m fed up

r/

Partner of 1.5 years is inconsistent when it comes to care and emotionally availability especially during emergencies or urgent matters. Last year I was sick at the ER due to morning after pill gone wrong. I asked him to bring food, sweater, etc. he said the doctors were taking care of me, he was tired and decided to go home because he couldn’t do anything for me. I expressed to him afterwards how his words and actions made me feel. It was no use because he said he also had needs and was tired from work. A few months after he micro cheated on me during a a family trip. He danced with girls and broke his neck looking at them evidenced on video from his family. I was sick with severe nausea and headache during his trip and he said he couldn’t do anything, didn’t call me, and said there’s nothing he could do. I left him. After that he said he wants to start fresh and he finally agrees that my hurt is reasonable and validating. He said he’d work on his empathy. I took him back but I clarified that I only felt safe taking him back after he went to therapy (he is dismissive avoidant attached) 1 month later one of the babies at a school I work that got me sick with the flu (nothing bad) but my partner brought me a care basket with a blanket, tissues, snacks and meds. I thought maybe he is changing. Fast forward to 2 months later, I took him to Mexico for his birthday. On the first night i got emotional because I missed my estranged sister and her newborn (also her bday). He asked what was going on so I explained myself. He said to stop crying because there was nothing he can do and completely shut me out. I immediately stopped crying and held back the tears because I knew I’d feel worse if I kept crying with him shutting me out. That same night I was severely sick from migraine that caused me nausea. I could not move from fetal position. I woke my partner up for help only for him to tell me to just sleep it off. He turned his back and continued sleeping. 1 hour later I managed to get out of bed and went to the bathroom. I vomited for a while and found the strength to walk to get water and back to my bed. I remember laying in bed for hours without being able to sleep. It was the worst migraine of my life. The next day I spoke to my partner about what happened. He said he was asleep and was tired and didn’t think i needed help. He was sorry he couldn’t help. I was furious. Other examples of this was when I lost my job, family loss and needed some financial or emotional support and I received nothing until after I begged for a while and convinced him to see my pain. Now, other than those lows/sick days, he gave me all the attention and date nights any other couple normally has. He was very attentive on the good days. The good days were really good days. But when shit hit the fan, he was no where in sight. The bad days almost make all the good days not worth it, although the good happy healthy days were the majority. I supported him on his low/sick days no questions asked. Just unconditional love and support. In the 6 months after expressing that he needed therapy and possibly couples therapy, he only went to 2 sessions saying he has no more talking points and rejected couples therapy saying we don’t need it. Why are men like this? How can I avoid this in the future with another partner? I know this isn’t what I deserve. What are your experiences?

TLDR: partner is emotionally unavailable and thinks I need to wait until he heals to be the man I deserve. I’m fed up after 1.5 years.

Comments

  1. autumnfrost-art Avatar

    Honestly there aren’t really any obvious signs until you’re actually in a situation where they have to step up.

  2. anatol-hansen Avatar

    Firstly, utilize paragraphs (sorry but it’s genuine advice, more people will read and give you their views).

    When you were in the ER, he could have done more but it’s not the end of the world that he didn’t.

    “He danced with girls and broke his neck looking at them evidenced on video from his family” you over dramaticized this because you want to be justified in your disdain. “He broke his neck looking at them” = “he looked at them”.

    Why do you need him to console your migraine while he’s on holiday with his family? If you have a migraine, you take ibuprofen or something similar and in 30 minutes you’re fine. Then you either drink more water than usual, sleep more or improve your posture (all common causes of migraines).

    You took him to Mexico for his birthday and immediately had a breakdown about your estranged sister. Sounds like a great birthday trip. /s

    “Other examples of this was when I lost my job, family loss and needed some financial or emotional support” maybe there’s more here if you give examples of how he failed in these areas.

    If there’s 95% good days and 5% bad days but “The bad days almost make all the good days not worth it” sounds like you need to talk to someone about this issue. Because this guy could give you a great life and attention, but then if he doesn’t coddle you when you have a migraine you devalue the good times completely. That’s not healthy.

    “Why are men like this?” Probably because of conditioning. If a boy gets sick they get medicine and get better in bed. Maybe for you when you got sick as a kid your parents would coddle you a lot which conditioned you to want that. Men and women are different both biologically and through societal conditioning.

    I’m sure there’ll be more comments telling you you’re totally right and should break up. I just want to give some alternative perspective.