Now would really be a good time to do a little bit of self reflection before you get back on the dating scene again. Do you have any underlying traumas? I've been through some shit myself and totally understand why girls who have been through some shit seem to gravitate towards me. These girls might subconsciously see you as a kindred spirit.
My GF has a kind of avoidant attachment style but it became more manageable as I got to know her better. I already almost broke up with her once because her emotional baggage really made me question her viability as a long term partner. She never cheated, but her behavior on social media made me blow up at her in our DM's but she kind of saw where I was coming from (I pretty much yelled at her because she didn't immediately block a man who she said hurt her by ghosting her after a date years ago). Sounds like your ex's issues were just too much for you to deal with and you made the right call by breaking up.
Thanks for the convo dude.
I absolutely have had some traumas, yes. And despite the cliche, it did begin with my parents and then progressed and got worse through school.
Thing is that in my late 20's, I had friends step in and tell me to get therapy, and I did. It took a lot of active work on my part (therapy isn't something you can sit on your ass and hope works), and maybe a bit of luck, but I can honestly sit here and say that they are largely no longer a thing. Both the original underlying traumas and the maladaptive coping behaviors have been worked on and fixed.
There was one that was left though, that I've actually realized in the weeks since we broke up. To an extent I felt I still had "work" to do to be a good relationship partner. Stuff like - listen harder. Get bigger/get a six pack. Dress better. Be more supportive, supportive in the sense that women mean, not necessarily men. Be someone she feels proud to show off to to her friends.
So on the one hand I felt very secure in who I had become - I noticed all these other dudes not putting in a fraction of the work I do, generally being kinda scumbaggy and lazy. So I knew I had value. But I also felt I still had work to do to be better. Not even that I was bad, just that I wasn't perfect. Yet. That I could conceivably be better.
I realized I was doing that when I went back and reviewed our texts, and started decompressing from our Norway trip (which was fucking awful, the worst relationship experience of my life, I've never been treated that badly by someone). I realized I hadn't fucked up even a fraction of what I was being accused of. That I had been supportive through her struggles, that I had been kind and always offering my help and time. And that she had constructed some kind of straw man psycho in her head representing me, and thats what she used to justify treating me like an actual leper.
So going forward, I'm trying to realize that I am indeed worthy and deserving of the kind of attention and appreciation (and great vibes) that I got in the first month. No reservations, no tests needed to pass. I've already passed them, if I ever needed to pass tests at all. I hope thats the disconnect that was acctracting these also disconnected (although in a different way, and with way less accountability) women into my life.
At least I hope thats how it works, cause it will fucking suck ass to have that first month be the pinnacle of my romantic experience.