Dr Petra Boynton, the Telegraph’s sex and relationships specialist, provides advice to an audience who’s enthusiastic about her boyfriend’s previous lovers
I will be enthusiastic about my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriends. I cannot stop thinking about them. He could be loving and sort. We now have a good relationship. I’m sure I am to blame. We have never liked anybody before him but We cannot conquer he liked people before me. I am aware I need certainly to conquer this however these thoughts won’t get. We haven’t told him the way I feel nonetheless it makes me personally unhappy after which We go on it away on him.
we hear from a lot of individuals who have trouble with anxiety and envy over exes, for a number of reasons. Including one thing as easy as having provided a kiss with some body into the past.
You are already aware it isn’t reasonable, but they are you in a position to mirror more about why these plain things are bothering you and what prompts them?
Decide to try writing down an inventory. Within one column you note things that bother you, within the next the way this will make you’re feeling, into the third describe that which you then do as a result, plus in the fourth line compose everything you could do differently or think about what can help you feel much better.
This may additionally let you see if there are specific patterns or causes that produce this a lot more of a worry if you both have had an argument, spent time apart, seen one of his exes, or if he’s been talking about them) for you(for example is it worse.
Having a better understanding may allow you to feel in a position to realize what’s happening and start to maneuver past it. Or let you talk to your boyfriend about places where you may require more love and help. Possibly revealing, you problems in the relationship if you feel able, any past history that may also cause.
Simply when you are eligible to your reputation for friendships and experiences, he could be additionally eligible to their past. To have experienced buddies, relationships, jobs and all sorts of the other items in their life before you were met by him. They are all plain items that have made him who he’s. It is not your home to reject him this, nor to produce him feel bad by what is efficiently none of one’s company. You cannot change his past.
Hearing this might make us feel angry, anxious or upset. I have perhaps not written it to cause you distress, however if you are finding yourself responding strongly to it, once again it may allow you to think on that which you’re experiencing and why that could be.
Odds are he does not consider their half that is past as as you are doing. Also it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be with you if he does think about the past.
Your longer email informs me you’ve been together a long time. Is it possible to think why it may be – also if you know this can be absurd as well as if you have been together such a long time – that you are nevertheless threatened because of the past? Why assume because he’d friendships and relationships prior to, he cannot additionally share one thing unique with you now?
Some individuals in your situation opt to move ahead by themselves. Noting they dislike the way they feel, and acknowledging the emotions aren’t reasonable, they try and workout why they feel because they do and address this. Or they concentrate on the behavior and remind themselves, if it is occurring, that it is perhaps not logical and distract themselves various other good methods.
Other individuals would rather confront these feelings that are unwanted straight, telling themselves ’this isn’t reasonable, i will not pay attention to these jealous ideas, i will be pleased within my relationship, his past is none of my concern’.
Doing such things as confidence building, exercise, hearing music, reading, trying out a spare time activity, conversing with a close friend or composing the way you feel makes it possible to feel more in charge. This could additionally be useful you being unkind to your boyfriend and alert you to do something else rather than take it bookofsex out on him if you know feeling upset leads to.
These tips are simplistic should this be a deep-seated problem.
In the event that you can’t sort this away because of the recommendations above, you might want to explore counselling to talk about why you are feeling such as this. Particularly if it has been a nagging problem in previous relationships or friendships. Counselling will also help you concentrate on coping methods in order to overcome these terrible ideas and the emotions that get using them.
You are able to refer you to ultimately a counsellor or see if any nearby health that is mental provide solutions. Your GP could possibly refer you from the NHS if you’re finding this really is overtaking your daily life (but waiting listings are long as well as in certain areas there’s almost no counselling services available). Then you may be able to use a service there if you’re in London there’s a list of low cost services available or if you’re at college.
Petra Boynton is a social psychologist and intercourse researcher involved in International medical care and learning intercourse and relationships. This woman is The Telegraph’s agony aunt. Follow her on Twitter @drpetra.
E-mail your sex and relationships inquiries in confidence to:agony.aunt@telegraph.co.uk
Petra cannot print answers to every question that is single, but she does read all your valuable e-mails. Please note that by publishing your concern to Petra, you may be providing your authorization on her behalf to utilize your concern since the foundation of her column, posted online at Wonder ladies.
All concerns may be held anonymous and key details, facts and figures may alter to protect your identification. Petra can only just respond to in line with the information you give her and her advice is certainly not a replacement for medical, healing or legal counsel.