My (25F) boyfriend (28M) and I have been together for about 6 months, and things have been great overall. Recently, though, when he gets upset, he says things that seem intended to hurt me. It feels like he intentionally picks at things he thinks will get under my skin.
I’ve started to feel anxious about when the next comment will come, and it’s affecting me emotionally. I’m not sure how to address this with him.
A common idea spread by some of the more blatantly misogynistic ‘influencers’ specifically encourages young men to attack their partners self esteem with just this type of behavior. So, you’re absolutely not crazy for being concerned!
You gotta talk to him. And verbal assurances, promises to ‘try harder’, etc, is not enough. After doing the hard to work to communicate as openly and honestly as you can, you gotta look for actual improvements in behavior.
I wish you the best of luck! But, problems in relationships almost always come back to not communicating effectively.