Should I move to Houston with him?

I’ve been with this guy for a year. There are good things about him, he’s funny and generous and seems to genuinely care about me in his own way but he’s not so good in other ways. We have extreme highs and extreme lows that sometimes result in shouting and has been physical on both ends. I’ve caught him talking to other women but I’ve also had dealings with other men as a result of him doing it to me. It’s very immature, I know. I’ve been trying to leave for a long time but he always comes back, begs, and then I'm back where I started. There’s so much to add but basically, I just want to know if you think I should attempt to take someone else serious? Every relationship I’ve been in has been toxic. I want something healthy but I have no idea if that even exists. I want to do better but I don’t even know if I can. At least with him, it’s no surprise. I’d hate to get with someone else and they pretend to be “good” then I fall for them & they turn into someone else. Obviously no one is perfect but…I’m actually just lost at this point.
Asked by LovelyK
Answered
05/17/2022

I would highly suggest that you first start with seeking mental health therapy from a licensed professional counselor and or licensed professional mental health therapist to discuss your current and past thoughts and feeling the emotional distress of your current relationship with your significant other that is current causing you to experience emotional distress and or dealing with possibly having other individuals who may have interfered with your current relationship. Sharing your thoughts and feelings can be quite beneficial in helping you to work through the decision making model to process what decision is best for you at this time. It is also a great idea to have someone to talk to in a safe and conducive environment of your choice to successfully break down the decision making model to help you make the best decision for yourself.

A licensed professional counselor and or licensed professional mental health therapist can be very beneficial in helping to support you with discussing and processing what happened in your current relationship. Relational traumatic experiences can cause psychological trauma which can also cause damage to an individual's mind as a result of one or more distressing events. The distressing event can cause overwhelming amounts of stress that can surpass the individual's ability to cope or understand their emotions which can lead to serious long term negative consequences. With the help and assistance of a licensed professional counselor and or licensed professional mental health therapist, you can receive adequate help in regards to your licensed professional counselor and or licensed professional mental health therapist providing you with effective and or appropriate skills and techniques to learn how to develop and implement effective skills and strategies for you to effectively continue to discuss your current thoughts and concerns about your current relationship at this time.

Behavior interventions, Psychotherapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have all been beneficial in helping people to express their thoughts, feelings and or emotions in regards to if you should move to Houston with your current significant other. A licensed professional counselor and or licensed professional mental health therapist can introduce you to deep breathing techniques, stress relaxation techniques, calming techniques, grounding techniques, social skills, positive interpersonal relationships techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, and imagery as a means of decreasing your struggles with your past relationship that cause to struggle with making a decision.

In an effort to feel less emotionally distressed, you can try to commit to changing the way you think. It will take a lot of practice, dedication and determination to work on decreasing your thoughts and feelings about what to do about your past relationship. However, trying to do this will help you feel better and it can lead to your feeling much better and becoming more productive. You can recognize when it is happening and when you find it happening you can choose to think about something more productive. You can also look for solutions by committing to learning from your mistakes and solving your problems so you can productively move forward, set aside time to think when you notice that you are beginning to feel triggered by your past relationship, distract yourself with a self-care activity and you can practice Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the key to living in the "here and now." When you become mindful, you will be completely present in the moment. It can be like a form of meditation that takes a lot of practice, but over time and with consistency, it can be very beneficial in decreasing your thoughts and feelings regarding your what is best for you in regards to your past relational traumatic experience.

Overall, I highly recommend that you seek help from a licensed professional counselor and or licensed professional mental health therapist to properly discuss your thoughts, feelings and emotions in regards to what decision you decide to make in regards to if you decide to move to Houston with your significant other. Mental health is not a one size fits all, so it is important to get personalized treatment for your specific and current relationship needs at this time.

Best regards to you!