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Been seeing a girl for almost a yr. We are both in our early 40's. She has said many times I would be happier with someone else that is nicer. She is a great person but has a low self esteem. She thinks she is not good enough for me. I have told her and showed her so many times that she is who I want. I "went after" her, I want to be with her. I can't get that through her head.

Yesterday she had a bad day, so I sent flowers and told her how much I care for her and love her. Her last text was again, I'd(me) be happier with someone else that is happier(as in she is not a happy person, she thinks).

So I said, ok. I'm obviously not making you happy. Apologized and told her I'd leave her alone.

This has probably happened 3-4 times already this calendar yr. Do I just give up or keep fighting for who I want. Or is it selfish to want who I want?

Be as harsh as you want, I can take it.

Thank you all for the help!

[This message edited by 9.10.11 at 6:17 AM, July 24th (Wednesday)]

It's not your job to make her happy.

She needs an IC. And she needs to stop telling you what you want.

She has really low self-esteem and you can't change that for her. To change that, she needs to work on it for herself.

You can't make another person happy.

You probably need to think about why you've been in the relationship as long as you have, when she is clearly not happy.

^^ YES and YES to both posts.

Maybe some IC for you to curb that killer KISA habit too.

WOW....I wish I could meet a guy that would do all of those sweet things. I feel bad for her..... because ultimately, it would be in your best interest to move on and one day she will wake up from her fog and realize that she possibly let go the best thing that ever happened to her...

Sad. Just sad.

But, I agree. She needs to work on herself in IC (I know from personal experience...LOVE my IC!) and THEN maybe once she loves herself more...she will be ready to accept love from someone else. Good Luck to you both!

So she recognizes her problem (gloomy) but opts to do nothing about it? So I would take that to mean she is satisfied being unhappy. Some people are....they thrill in wallowing.

Secondly, she says you would be happier with someone nicer. Again, that is an acknowledgement that she feels she is not a nice person. But doesn't work on being a better person? We all have room for improvement and most people want to be a good person (nice, etc).....she seems like she is happy being what she is.

Good news (ha) is you KNOW what she is. She is showing and telling you. Question is - is this what you want in a relationship?

PS - my day sucked yesterday at work too. Flowers welcomed.

She's manipulating you. She plays the "poor pitiful me, I'm not good enough" routine and you then pour on more attention. Once you back off, then she repeats the cycle again.

She has issues, but you probably do as well to some degree because you too have been engaging in this dysfunctional cycle for a year. Somebody who is emotionally healthy would not be participating in this dysfunction.

Agree with lieshurt.

Sounds like a "shit" test to me. (a classic NPD tactic)

Just how much shit is he willing to take?

Coupled with low self-esteem, as the other post pointed out, she could be NPD.

Run like the wind my friend and if she chases you?

Run Faster!

She's manipulating you. She plays the "poor pitiful me, I'm not good enough" routine and you then pour on more attention. Once you back off, then she repeats the cycle again.

100% agree with lieshurt. XH would use this manipulative tactic on me, I didn't realize it at the time but that's what he was doing. Also like lieshurt said, I allowed it because I wasn't emotionally healthy either.

I think you should take a step back from the relationship to get yourself healthy and figure out why you allowed yourself to be manipulated in this way.

Thank you all for the great advise! I really do appreciate you taking time to help me.

A couple things i've thought about. #1, please don't get mad if i bring this up.... but it was the start of her...."cycle". Could it be something to do with that?

#2, maybe I'm not showing/telling her enough how much I appreciate her. She really is a good person who puts others before herself all the time. Could it be that she needs some "me" time(meaning her)? Or could it be that I show too much appreciation?

I'd hate to tell her she needs IC. She has been there, done that after she was cheated on. I too, btdt.

I know it's hard to answer some of these things going through my head, because you have very little history and don't know us.

#1, please don't get mad if i bring this up.... but it was the start of her...."cycle". Could it be something to do with that?

I would say no.

#2, maybe I'm not showing/telling her enough how much I appreciate her. She really is a good person who puts others before herself all the time

No, it's not about you. She's got issue. It doesn't matter what you do, she's still going to have them and she's still going to use them to manipulate you.

I'll disagree with the statement that she is a good person. Good people don't use tactics to manipulate others. She's using that "good" to hide behind.

I'd hate to tell her she needs IC. She has been there, done that after she was cheated on

Seeking IC to help with betrayal is one thing. Seeking IC to address passive aggressive behaviors, manipulative behaviors and insecurity is another. She needs help.

[This message edited by lieshurt at 9:41 AM, July 24th (Wednesday)]

Push. Pull. Passive Aggressive B.S.

Next.

AJ's MOM

Every single time one of my friends has given a guy this line, it's because she's being too lazy to break up with him, and would rather have him do the hard part.

You sound like a great guy who has done all kinds of the right things to show this woman that you care for her. I think she's right. You DO deserve to be with someone who is nicer. And as others have said--it isn't your job to make her happy. From what little you've said, it seems like that would be a mighty big job anyway.

You say she is a nice person who always puts everyone else first. Maybe that's why she's not happy. Maybe she resents the hell out of all those people she puts first. If so, that's her job to figure out.

Life is too short to waste time and energy on people who embrace negativity. And gloom and doom people suck you into their bottomless pit of yucky-ness. Run, run, run for your life and find someone who is positive and life affirming who WILL appreciate you and what you have to offer.

As Jimmie V said, " Don't give up....don't ever give up" ! As to making others happy, as Abraham Lincoln said " most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be".

None of us can make another person happy-it's hard enough finding happiness for ourselves. I find that the more i focus on the happiness of others, the less i focus on my happiness.

My girlfriend (both of us were cheated on),keeps thinking she can make me happy, despite how much I tell her she can't.

In the process, she's getting very frustrated, and getting more unhappy!

#1, please don't get mad if i bring this up.... but it was the start of her...."cycle". Could it be something to do with that?

I hate it when girls blame their bad behavior on "that time of the month". Treating someone poorly is never excusable. Sure I may get a little emotional (and cry at the stupid picture of the sad puppy) but never manipulative or mean.

#2, maybe I'm not showing/telling her enough how much I appreciate her. She really is a good person who puts others before herself all the time. Could it be that she needs some "me" time(meaning her)? Or could it be that I show too much appreciation?

First you say your not showing enough appreciation, then you say your showing too much. She has you so mind fucked you don't even know which way is up. In a healthy relationship you shouldn't have to question whether you are giving too much or too little, it just feels right. You can keep giving and giving but eventually you have nothing left to give and you will be just as broken as she. She isn't you responsibility to fix.

Talked to her today. She feels so bad for the way she acted and the things she said. She said she has never been treated so kind by another man that she feels guilty. She has never had anyone work so hard to try and make her happy on a bad day. It was the 7 yr "antiversary" of her cathching her husband cheating on her. I didn't know the day.

I feel like such an a$$.

She has never had anyone work so hard to try and make her happy on a bad day. It was the 7 yr "antiversary" of her cathching her husband cheating on her. I didn't know the day.

So, what about the rest of the year? You said she's done this 3 or 4 times this year alone.

I'm sorry, but her reaction just seems like more of the same manipulation she's been pulling all along.

I agree with Amazonia. It was my first thought...that she wanted you to end things so she wouldn't have to.

If someone I loved sent me flowers when I had a bad day because it was my antiversary, I would be thanking the stars above that my life was so much different than it was 7 years ago. I wouldn't be telling the person who sent the flowers that they would be happier with someone else.

It sounds like it's happening every couple months?

She said she has never been treated so kind by another man that she feels guilty.

Guilty? Maybe the guilt is because she doesn't want to be in the relationship and you keep being nice to her when she is out of line with you and hoping you will end things?

Honey - enough about her. What are you getting out of this? And I'm not talking about "she's nice, we get along well" kind of stuff. What are you getting from being told repeatedly that you're too good for her?

Honestly - no attack intended. Just wanting you to deep dive on YOUR side of this equation.