Going Back

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#1 May 1 - 3PM
MandyM
MandyM's picture

Going Back

My ex and I knew each other years ago in high school. Over this weekend, I ran into another fellow high school classmate I hadn't seen in more than twenty years, and we had a very pleasant, friendly chat, which he followed with an e-mail telling me how great it was to have run into me. I was checking out his Facebook page to see how many FB friends we had in common - fortunately, my ex isn't one of them - but I wound up on another alum's page, which ultimately led me to my ex's. I unfriended him months ago and had been doing really well in recent weeks not still going to his page - in fact, the need to see what he's been doing has lessened as I've grasped how much happier I've been with new, genuinely NICE people in my life that have only pointed up how NOT NICE a guy he is. So I figured I could handle seeing his page now, given my new, healthier outlook and happier mindset.

It was unbelievable . . . just being on that page, seeing even just general random posts people have left there, photos of his family - it felt like getting kicked in the chest. All the old feelings of hurt and pain and rejection and insignificance came flooding back. And that's without even having any sort of communication from him, or seeing anything that definitively told me in no uncertain terms that he's still involved with the floozy or anyone else. It was being walked away from all over again. It's amazing how just the sight of his name, or his profile picture, can make me feel so utterly horrible. It's like a Pavlovian response or something.

And yet, on some level, I still miss him. It makes no sense to me. How can I feel such terrible, heartwrenching negative emotions just looking at his FB page, not even speaking to him, and still sometimes have my low moments when I wish he'd reach out to me, even when I recognize full well how much better my life is without him in it, or without any kind of reminders of him at all? I don't want to contact him myself. I would never, ever trust him again and even wonder just what crap he's told mutual friends about me. I like my life as it is. I like the people who are in it now. I feel surrounded by goodness and positive energy. I'm moving forward and creating a whole new existence on my own terms, and I'm so excited by it. What on earth is it that makes me still miss him when I have so much wonderfulness (I made up a word :-) in my world and know that it would all disintegrate in a heartbeat if he were to come back into it??

May 2 - 6PM
enpsychopedia r... (not verified)
Anonymous's picture

The thought of my narc living

The thought of my narc living happily ever after, never giving me a thought, is like having a sucking chest wound reopened. Like you I could and would never trust this man again. You know what goes through my mind whenever I contemplate "getting back together with him?" Here's the scene...we are in some unstable scary part of the world on vacation and we end up staying in some seedy place and I'm really scared. I wake up in the morning and he has vanished and I have to somehow navigate through this social and political mess to get back home. I end up being kidnapped. You miss the way he made you feel when he was charming. He made you feel super significant. Right? Now you feel insignificant. You've done a 180. It's perfectly understandable. No, you don't want him back, but yes, you'd like those feelings back. Who wouldn't? Eventually the memory of how he made you feel will fade a bit and you will feel sympathy for all of the people interacting with him on his FB page. If they are women and he targets them they WILL be hurt.
May 2 - 7AM
MandyM
MandyM's picture

Oops

I think I mistakenly gave the impression that my ex and I were involved as kids. We weren't - we were involved as adults. But we knew each other slightly as kids, grew up together, and went to high school together, as did the man I saw over the weekend. We live in a small town and went to a small high school, and because of this, everyone is entertwined somehow. It's always a pain when I run into someone from those days because I'm never sure how strong or tenuous their connection is to my ex. And even if there doesn't seem to be one - like checking out Weekend Guy's FB page and not seeing a "friend" connection - they always seem to know someone who knows my ex - like how I wound up on my ex's page anyway. It makes my life extra complicated.
May 1 - 10PM
Arwen
Arwen's picture

I second what gettinbetter said about knowing them in youth

I dated my narc at 14 and he was 16 and it was just the greatest summer of my life even though I knew he wasn't for me intellectually, socially, etc. He was very sweet to me when we were kids and I was CRAZY about him. This time around in our forties when he pursued me and conquered me as a married woman with two children, I cannot BEGIN to tell you how much pain I am in over OW, D&D, his behavior towards me and towards others, the gross person he has become, and...the many charming things he has become as well. Nothing is black and white and the gray hurts like hell. The one thing that is black and white is that he is a narc and always was, and, a true sociopath. And I love him and miss him every freaking minute of every day for months. And my stomach gets in knots if I even think of his face let alone see it on FB. He will always be that 16 year old to me although my vision is no longer clouded. So yes, the knowing them in younger years makes the departure of the relationship horribly difficult and painful. My suggestion: take the love and palpitations and adolescent reactions to him and put them into your work if you create, or just let yourself feel these things cause they are not going away if you don't process the feelings.
May 1 - 5PM
gettinbetter
gettinbetter's picture

There is something about

There is something about having been involved with them at such a young age. They do so so so much damage when your younf especially if there was a lot of trauma present as in my case. When I friended mine on face book my heart was racing and my palms were sweating and I hadn't been with him in 15 years. I should have known that wasn't a good sign. I now know that that is indicative of trauma
May 1 - 5PM
Amazed
Amazed's picture

We have many fond memories, hopes and dreams...

We have many "fond" memories of times with the exN/psychopath, right! We have so many dreams and hope that were entwined with them,,dreams of our future, building something we were led to believe was "everlasting" with them,,,, It is tough to imagine that they strung us along for quite some time,,weeks, months, years... It is inconceivable that this could happen, however this is how they play their victims. They are in control, or seemingly so, however it is all an act. We, thorough, are genuine. WE have genunie LOVE. WE have genuine CARE. WE have genuine feelings..and affections we gave to them, and we felt they were the one.. Yes, thoughts wander to them, and memories of them and indeed feel like we are "missing" them,, and believe, me, they will play you all out on this too. Please remember that this is their way of manipulation. Do not ever use these feelings to go back. They calculate their damage from day one they met you, and they are NOT safe to be with. We cherish the times,,when we think back, and look at their reactions, their smile,,was it genuine? Someone here had a post about their "smirk". Did your exN have that smirk,, or that evil distance?
May 2 - 1PM (Reply to #4)
Alibi_10
Alibi_10's picture

Amazed

This is a really good reply and has triggered a question to do with this post - about missing something fake, something that didn't exist in the first place, "They calculate their damage from day one they met you, and they are NOT safe to be with." This is something that I have struggled with because at times mine would play the analyst and say that he felt sorry for me because I would never be able to have a proper relationship because I needed to sort my 'issues with men out'!! But I only had issues with him. Do you think that these comments were all manipulative? On the face of it, it looks like he DID have empathy on occasions, but I expect given the rest of his controlling manipulative behaviour that it was all part of his keeping me guessing game.
May 1 - 4PM
Hunter
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Mandy M

You miss the lie We all do. Just because you do want him doesn't mean you can't miss him. Hunter
May 1 - 5PM (Reply to #2)
Happy1
Happy1's picture

I totally agree with Hunter!

I totally agree with Hunter! We miss the lie and the dream we had in our heads. We can miss them, but also realize we cannot be with them. They will never make us happy. They don't even know what that is.