[23F] & [23M], 8-Month Long-Distance Relationship—Facing Challenges with Emotional Stability, How Can I Progress?
Hello everyone, I (23F) have been in a relationship with my boyfriend (23M) for about eight months. We originally connected online, grew to be friends, and eventually started dating. It's a long-distance relationship, as we are both pursuing our MBAs in different cities, around 800 km apart. After five months together, I visited him for four days, and those days were honestly the highlight of our relationship. He treated me wonderfully, and I truly felt cherished. However, things aren’t as smooth when we’re apart. There are a few issues weighing on my mind: * He doesn’t want me to have male friends, but he himself doesn’t have any female friends. He’s very social and often hangs out with his group, while I am more introverted and primarily talk to him and two close female friends. * He expects me to let him know if I'm going out, but he only informs me about his outings after the fact. * He stays over at his friends’ places but doesn’t want me to do the same (not that I particularly want to, but it feels uneven). * I always make him my priority, yet I don’t feel like I’m his top priority. We've had several intense arguments, sometimes going a day without speaking before reconciling. While I love him, I often feel lonely in this relationship. I try to keep myself occupied, but he’s always on my mind, which is frustrating because I feel like I've lost my sense of tranquility. There have been instances where he’s said hurtful things during arguments that I can't seem to forget, and they linger in my mind. I've said hurtful things too, primarily as a reaction to his behavior. At times, he makes me feel insecure and unloved, but there are also moments where I feel incredibly valued. When I confront him, he reassures me of his love, apologizes, and things seem fine—until the next disagreement. I care for him deeply, but I feel trapped. I'm not happy with our relationship, yet I also can't envision being without him. Has anyone else experienced something similar? How do I determine whether this is just a rough phase or an indication that we’re not compatible? I would really appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance!