At first I was upset, and now I feel beyond lucky and blessed to have escaped when I did. Hi there, This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Seeing that you are an NT male as I read these comments, I am reminded to ask KM or others if support groups exist with mixed gender neurotypical partners in pain. She is my daughter and I will always love her. He went through a period when he did not know what to do with his life, I tried to help but became frustrated with both the lack of direction as well as the lack of communication. I showed screenshots of our convos to my friends. Im an Aspie and we are easily stressed out from NTs incessant demands. I was happy, he was so into talking for hours. The fighting is unpredictable, I was made to believe, I was the cause, because I wanted something, A emotion I could identify. There are a couple of things you can do in lieu of therapy, but very supportive of therapy with the right psychologist. I think this may be the key. How do you deal with an autistic lover? Am trying to be as patient as I can but hard when it feels like it's only me he's withdrawing from. Life with Aspergers: Why Do Aspies Suddenly Back-Off in Relationships? It's a difficult question and the answers would vary considerably from one person to another and would depend greatly on the circumstances. Since they have nothing to say, they dont consider that you may need to talk. Forgetting it, or filing it away, or ignoring it are all solutions for those with ASD. She left the house and other than a little initial contact, during which we were both confused and upset, I have had no contact with her. Was he an aspie? Or if you can fly to a neighboring country with a good clinic. He went through all of our savings had a meltdown that lasted for 12 months and then wanted to come home. I am not saying that everyone with mental disabilities / personality disorders is toxic, but toxic relationships are hard to escape from. With this person, you became the best version of yourself. This is one of the biggest reasons. On the other hand I want to pursue the relationship and work on it. (My state of mind/my freedom/my self worth). Im getting the silent treatment today. He cant handle actually thinking of the topic itself. Poor . She just turned 36 in December. Even screamed at, and things thrown/punched walls. Familiarize yourself with the signs, sometimes known as the seven stages of trauma bonding. Even though he says we are just different and that nobody is wrong, and that we get along great and have a strong connection, he refuses to talk or work things out. After 2 years with an undiagnosed man with Aspergers (I have taught public school for 32 years and we know autism), I am left with crippling anxiety and a complete lack of equilibrium. Nevertheless, I'll try to point out some possibilities. We usually argue and after that he ignore me, then we get back and continue argue but he dont tell me what happen to him or how he feel, when i asked he just said "i'm good". Its been two months and as much as I love him, I know hes capable of doing this again when any conflict arises. Addiction and ASD do not mix well. Im sorry but its just evil to do that. I love him the way he is, but the silent treatment and being shut out kills me when he does it. Filled with assessments and exercises for both you and your partner, this book will help you forge a deeper, more fulfilling . I tried to be loving and supportive. You have to carve out a life regardless of whether or not your husband recognizes the problems. I tried to cuddle and he would always have an excuse to not get physically together: stuffed from dinner, not comfortable position in the couch. Ive been with him for 35 years so weve made it work. What is Aspergers Syndrome. Why does your aspie partner sometimes shut. This time his shutdown was prompted by an argument. Dont settle for less than having a gentleman for a husband. They feel obliterated by your strength, so in turn try to obliterate you. That's because ASD/ASC is primarily a social-emotional-communication difference. I felt better when I stopped pretending and covering for him and us. The magic was being replaced with a dull routine. She only liked when we would do things she enjoyed, and kept silent about anything controversial. I often am scared that I am moving forward and he is just standing still enjoying the company ut not really growing with me. Reading these posts exemplify what I felt day to day with him. It is Hell. Pointless, and a missed opportunity for a real connection (which makes me very sad). Your partner asked you questions youve never been asked, caused you to explore parts and depths of yourself youd never before explored. Suddenly, they began to take everything personally. And if there is a issue forget it hes on the attack then shuts down. If you want to try with him again he will most likely not comply, but If he is stop [being] open to it you will need to chill out, do not be critical of him in any way, do not ask for anything, do not pressure him to do activities, do not contact him unless its to offer him something of comfort, and everything has to seem like his idea so pose things you want in a way that will allow him to come to his own conclusions.. I understand that Aspie's tell the truth and that she does not have romantic feelings for me. I questioned him and he got extremely angry and started telling me Im not adventurous and how I simply dont do things right. I call it behaving like a pathetic spoilt brat! He apologised the next day and we talked through it. It started way too intense (from his side), Idk but maybe he lovebombed me, he would take me to the best restaurants, have best dates, talk everyday for hours he invited me to meet his family. I understand everything about this, We were talking things out better. %. I feel like all I have to do is to attract his attention to the issue and only a professional can do this, not me. Its ruined me. He doesnt read and is undereducated. 28 plus years of marriage and I will never have a spouse who will make me the priority unless he needs something from me.. I know he will always have Aspergers but I really do believe he has the capacity to gain knowledge to deal with some of the symptoms in a healthier way. Ghosting can happen in any interpersonal relationshipbut in the realm of dating, the term is typically used when someone you have been talking to or dating suddenly stops responding to messages or calls without any explanation. Someone told me once that an aspie has lived there whole lives being told what they are doing is wrong or rude etc so that pain for them must be very real gor them and difficult to process whilst living in a constant state of anxiety.even one argument or verbal disagreement can be devastating and lead to shut down to protect you and themselves they will care but not know what to do as they do not follow social norms. I have a friend and over the corse of just a few months we became very close. But the pain they inflict is devastating. Years and I didnt want to have kids due to childhood traumas of a narcissist mother. You are not responsible for them! But she cant use his issues to separate us and he cant use me to gain what he wants if that makes sense. We met in college and were smitten. Figure out sooner than later if you are in one, and get out before it gets even harder to leave. I also agree that it is not a relationship for the feint or heart. If you question him, he takes it personally. I know that is an extremely emotional and difficult situation. He was and still is in strong denial. I feel so sorry for some of the women here. I was shocked. actually, at 65 just a life without his never ceasing childish bickering. They are very good at lying when it comes to not getting into trouble. I feel awful saying this but I have resentment. Just herejust here. Ive been in a relationship for 9 months and besides being incredibly smart, hes been giving me the silent treatment for 2 days. But the conversation may be aborted yet again by a meltdown. Cooked for him non stop, bought him little gifts, embraced his kids etc. This is july 21st. The silent treatment is really a cruel form of abuse and it includes more, like ignoring and shunning, and treating you as if your opinion doesn't count. I met a man while he was away for almost 3.5 years and we had a summer romance. Be kind to yourself, seek support and bring calmness to your life as best you can. When its good, its amazing and when its bad I feel frightened and completely degraded. I left the house and the day I was moving and finishing packing my bags he was casually asking me what should he put in his smoothie, asking about food properties and pretending everything was ok. At first he didnt want this break but then agreed that it would be good for us given the constant tension we were living with. A lot of people with autism may find it hard to tell a fake friend from a true friend. I barely have had any answers from him other than I will be better without him and that he doesnt want me to be unhappy and loves me too much to see me hurting like this. I'd like to say that aspies aren't like this but I'm sure there are a few. Maybe thats why I started to pull away. I was told I have to accept that. I feel ripped off because I never got a chance to make things right with him. His father had narcissism and was very ugly about my husbands learning disabilities. Weve been on a roller coaster ride since our eldest was born. Can Entrepreneurial Women Measure Up to Their Definition of Success? I started to read a lot about it, especially when I was down and needed an explanation for how he treated me. Narcissists exist at many levels of society and are not limited to one diagnosis. Let them knoe that you still love them but that this is not healthy. I was surprised but at the same time was nervous that I could lose her as a friend by revealing my feelings. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Kathy J. Marshack, Ph.D.Privacy Statement | All Rights Reserved. THEIR needs, wants. If they were putting on an act for others, were they doing the same with you? It is not true that they cant lie. Hi July 21st and thanks for responding! My boyfriend knows I have anxiety issues and that his silent treatment only makes them worse, and yet he seems incapable of doing anything about it. I found that simply leaving him alone helped him to sort things out so I would let him know I was going to go out and just go shopping, take a ride, whatever to keep myself busy and give him space. I think its his way of protecting himself and I think hes worried about saying the wrong thing. Protective order in place. Right now my mother has used private info I told her about a bad time my husband lost it and grabbed me so I wouldnt leave him and told the cops . Both people need to be committed to the process. If I get near him he storms off. All the acting and insecurities. Common symptoms of Asperger's that may impact social interaction or communication include: Problems making or maintaining friendships. She explained that she did not have romantic feelings for me. That killed me. Being able to express your emotions and be emotionally supportive of each other is the lifeblood of a healthy relationship. I have no idea what hes doing or thinking. She stays in the bedroom all the time. He has a lawyer and wants toseparate, not really understanding what it is. I am wondering if you ever spoke to your friend again or if the relationship just ended?