Απάντηση
Dear RGS,
Thank you for your letter. From what I understand you are currently in long distance relationship with a girl from a different country. Even though you have been dating for over 2 ½ years, in the last 8 months things seemed to you different than before. You are explaining that in the last 8 months, your communication is not like before and you are spending less time talking. Moreover, she shared with you that she is having second thoughts about getting married and that she needs time to consider her feelings for you. It is unclear from your letter if your relationship involves face-to-face interaction and if you visit each other. Moreover, I am not sure if you talked about the future and how long will your relationship have to be a long distance one. Furthermore, I could not quite understand the nature of your relationship in terms of her financial stability. In this letter, I want to tackle 3 main points that might help you see the picture more clearly: the control level, the communication, and the family involvement in the relationship.
Firstly, you mention that in the past your relationship was very open and you shared everything including your email passwords. Furthermore, you point out that she used to stay online with you at least 7 hours every day. However, you describe than in the last 8 months things changed: she is spending less time with you on the phone, sometimes she is not picking up your calls, and she is hiding her passwords. From your letter I understand that she is currently a student. I am not sure if she just started university or if she recently changed departments or universities. One possible explanation for the change in her behavior could be the fact that she is indeed under stress either from her family or from university. Maybe the new academic year took a turn on her studies and she indeed has more tasks. What is clear from what she told you and from what you have been able to understand is that she is not comfortable with the high level of control in the relationship like before. It is important to have an open conversation about where you both stand in your relationship and to see how to reach a compromise. If she feels she needs more independence, maybe you both could try to find a middle way in which she has some degree of independence and you do not feel hurt. In a relationship it is important to have some degree of independence and of some activities or hobbies outside the relationship. It is unclear from you letter how much social support you have and how much time you spend on your hobbies outside of the relationship. In regard to the facebook incident it is unclear if she gave you her password or if you found it out without her knowing. Regardless, the incident seems like an invasion of privacy. She seems upset that you decided to change her profile picture and her relationship status without asking her first. It is understandable that you maybe felt angry when you saw her facebook profile. However, a better approach would have been to confront her about it and ask her why she felt the need to hide her profile from you and set her status as single. Your approach in changing her profile picture did make her more upset since it made her feel like her privacy was violated. It is important to put yourself in her shoes and see how would such an action made you feel. The best way to approach the issue now is to apologize and explain openly why the facebook account made you feel hurt and angry.
Secondly, communication is important in any relationships but is key in a long distance relationship. From you letter it seems that there is a lack of open communication between the two of you. You mention that in the last 8 months she have been constantly having arguments that you do not seem to resolve. As explained in the facebook incident, it is important you always clearly state your opinion and your emotions. When you feelings get hurt, it is crucial to assertively communicate it with your partner and explain to her why you feel the way you do in certain situations. Moreover, it is important to try to listen to your partner and try to understand why she might feel they way she does and what can you do to find a middle ground in your relationship where both you and her are happy.
Lastly, I want to discuss a little about her family’s involvement in your relationship. It seems from your letter that her family plays a big role in your relationship. You seem to turn to them in helping you solve conflicts with your girlfriend. While the family support is important, you should discuss to your partner how she feels about it. She is ok with her family being part of our relationship?
Hope the letter helps you put things into perspective and give you some tools to tackle the issues that might arise in the future. Further, I wish you good luck with your relationship and hope you will find a middle ground where both of you are happy.
Best regards