AdviceGeneral.com

Dear Rob,
I read some of the questions about the friends with benefits subject and have one myself.

Mine is a little different. I’ll call him ‘J’. We met around 8 years ago, online, we just started talking and eventually met up and became friends, the first night we hooked up but it didn’t go far. We talked a lot online and the phone, he would come over a lot and we would hook up, watch movies, he’d pass out, since he worked odd hours it would sometimes be at like 4am.

My friends all knew him, some of my family even met him. We would go periods when we wouldn’t hook up a lot and just hang out. If we saw each other out we would be fine talking as if we were friends, it was never odd for us, well at least for me it wasn’t.

Throughout the years we have both dated people, one of mine ended up serious for almost 4 years and we had a child together. After I was with this other guy I stopped talking to J but eventually did get a hold of him, told him about my daughter and stuff and he asked for a picture, I sent it, and got a response that said “she kinda looks like me, you sure it’s his?” It was kind of an odd question but I assured him yes.

We talked during my relationship and when we broke up it started all over again with me and J. He met my daughter, we would go over there and he never acted weird with her or anything.

He has done me numerous favors and anytime I call him he makes himself available to help me. Well not long ago the all time worst fear happened, we got pregnant! We both decided at the time it was not right for either of us, we were both back in school trying to get degrees, I had my daughter to handle, and mutually decided to abort the pregnancy.

He was there the entire time, went to the doctor’s office with me, talked to them about the risks and everything, for such a terrible situation he was as good as he could get! Even after, I assumed things would be different with us, but it wasn’t.

We did not have sex for awhile after, we would talk and fool around, but no sex. Of course eventually it moved on again, and we had sex. My feelings are changing for him, I am not sure how he feels at all, I mean over 8 years, we have never once spoke about that, we talk about other people we have dated and how it doesn’t work out and shit, but never about us. He saw me out once and I was talking to another guy who works with him and he came up behind me and grabbed me to start dancing, I almost took it as a sign of jealousy, but it could have just been coincidence.

I think to myself well if he wanted more wouldn’t he say so? But then again, I have not said a word or hinted to it either, so I am not sure. It’s not like he comes here we jump in bed and that’s it, he plays with the dog, we lay down together and watch tv, he’ll cook for me, we do the whole cuddling thing after, we kiss goodbye, it doesn’t seem like just sex, but I am afraid to say anything, because if he doesn’t want more, I am afraid of loosing him altogether!

I am not insecure, but I think it has just been so long with us this way, it would be weird to have it any other way. I don’t even know how to approach him about it, face to face, I could never do it! But I feel like a coward doing it through an email or anything!

So I guess I need a little advice from someone who doesn’t know us and how we are outside of our friends….what do u think?????
Thanks- Confused

Hi Confused,
I’m not sure exactly what you’re sure of losing here.

You’re seeing a guy, not exclusively, not with any expectations (in his head) and you’re not sure where this will lead?

After 8 years he knows that you’ll be there whenever he wants you!

Despite all best intentions, despite the friendship you have, he’s just not as involved in making the relationship stronger or more committed because he doesn’t have to!!
This is even truer because you don’t ask him!

Now is the time to either shit or get off the pot (to be frank about it).
You need a man in your life that will be a part of your family on a permanent basis. If ‘J’ isn’t the guy now, then you have to decide: him or someone else?

Do you keep things they way they are and hide your unhappiness with the status of your relationship?

Your daughter needs stability, not a part-time-friend-of-mommy’s that comes and goes in her life.

If you’ve gone though one traumatic experience with him (the abortion) and now your inner-self is crying for someone that will love you without conditions attached.

Now is the time to ask him about completing your relationship, making it solid, fulfilling and official through marriage.
If he says no, so be it… move on with your life. Stop letting him use you. You know what you’ll be in for, don’t you?
If he says yes, great, you can start planning a life and a family and a home.

What do you say to him? Be forthright.
“Hi J, I think that it’s time to find out if this semi-relationship is going to get more serious. I want to provide stability and a father for my little girl and I need a man that I can count on full-time to be here with me, married, picket fences, all that.
J, are you this guy?”

But you have to ask.

I honestly feel sorry for the position you now find yourself in.
But now is the time to move forward and live the life you certainly deserve.
Best wishes,
Rob.

Dear Rob,
I am getting quite annoyed with myself and came across this site and hoped you may be able to offer some advice.

About four years ago I met a man the same age as me (23 at the time) and we really got on, however we were never more than friends with benefits. I was really happy with that as I could keep that part of my life separate from the other more boring parts of my life.

He then disappeared and I hadn’t heard from him for almost three years and really had moved on and hadn’t given him much thought, I guess I just assumed he had met someone he was serious about.

About four months ago he got back in touch and things have returned to the way things were before only now he is meeting my friends and family. Before he only came to see me on an evening now he calls when I have people there too.

My son has met him and although he thinks of him as just mom’s friend he is becoming close to him.

Now here’s the problem:
The more I see of him and the more my friends and family accept him the more I am starting to feel for him. That’s why I am annoyed with myself it was never supposed to go this way.

I haven’t told him this and I won’t even if that’s what you advise me to do as I don’t want to risk the friendship. I know he cares about me and wouldn’t want to hurt me but I just don’t think he would want anything more serious as I am an overweight single mum and he is attractive and can probably have any stick thin thing he wants. I don’t know what advice you could give me but needed to say it all somewhere without risking people thinking I am weak or judging me, I didn’t want to end up feeling like this and originally I thought the set up was great. Anyway what do you think.
Anon

Hi Anon,
You’ve fallen into several traps here:

You’ve tried to separate sex from your feelings, which never works out;

You’ve mixed “Friends with Benefits” sex with family and now not only will you get hurt but your son as well;

You don’t think much of yourself, seriously, you’re self-conscious and not happy with the person you are;

And reality has entered the relationship and you know his interest in you is only sex just as it was for you. Or you’re reading this development all wrong and are to scared to admit to yourself about using him and hoping for more. You can’t give yourself the forgiveness you really need to expand on this possible relationship as it progresses.

Having a relationship based on sex is not being honest with yourself or does it show that you respect yourself. This type of behavior has to end now!

Having a “Friends with Benefits” relationship is always a losing situation for the woman, as you admit.

Here you were, screwing around with him, and he just disappears. He found something better and moved on. You kept to yourself and when he re-appeared you opened your bed to him again.

Is this how you want your son to view women? As objects for pleasure, not to be loved and appreciated?

First off, end this relationship. You’re not going to get what you want from him and you’re going to hurt a lot more if you let this continue. Unless he puts a ring on your finger, give him the boot. Even his meeting your family and becoming friends with your son are dangerous signs that he wants what you can’t give him. Or what you can’t trust him with. Or that you want less than he’s offering because you can’t believe that there is more to sex than casual non-committal hook ups.

Then I want you to start counseling. Find out why your self-esteem and self-respect is at such a low point.

And if you’re not working, get a job and/or go back to school. Start walking a little every day, get some exercise. Improve your life so you aren’t reliant on others. Show your son that life is worth living, not letting it pass you by. That you don’t need to be used any longer, you have value as a person.

“Friends with Benefits” relationships are deceiving people left and right. These “friends” that hook up believe that they can separate sex from emotion. That there is no commitment required, there will be no regrets, and that sex is just an amusement between two people that happen to be together at the moment.

But if you dig a little deeper, wasn’t there some basis for the initial attraction? Did the hook up happen only as if you had purchased a ticket on an amusement park ride? Did you not feel some comfort in the afterglow of the sex act then refuse to admit to yourself that you actually are a person capable of having feelings?

When this type of disorganized thinking is revealed to not be the real intention of getting together how does the relationship move on? How can you get over the feelings of being used for your body parts and find a way to move beyond the “Friends with Benefits” beginning and into a real loving relationship?

Almost universally there is a breakup (or ending of the FWB rules), further repeated hook ups resulting in hurt emotions and bewilderment as you try to figure out how life went so terribly wrong.

End the FWB relationship as soon as possible. Have a heart-to-heart talk with your “friend” and get to the root of your relationship needs. Love and companionship isn’t rooted in sex, sex comes after love and commitment has been proven.

And if the relationship is not to progress beyond convenient hook ups, it’s time to re-examine your self-worth and find yourself a true love to share yourself with, even if this means working on yourself while staying single and celibate for a while.
Best wishes,
Rob.

Hi Rob,
I have never done this but its just been eating away at me lately.

I met this guy three years ago and we hit if off right away, as best friends, but six months later it turned into more, and we started going out. After a while though things got rocky and we broke up but stayed best friends and eventually fell right back into our relationship habits because he had been staying at my apartment as my roommate.

Anyway, it turned into a “friends with benefits” thing even though neither of us would call it that. We have now gone out and broken up five times now but this last time I had moved to Florida with him because he wanted me too and I did. But soon afterwards he dumped me again and he started dating someone else when I went home for my sister’s wedding.

When I got back I was angry and hurt and moved back home. But he kept calling me everyday while he was dating her and even more so after they broke up three months later. He came to visit three times and then talked me into coming up there twice. And once more we have slipped into the “friends with benefits” role even though I am still pretty bitter.

And I don’t know what to do. I love him and he is the best friend I have ever had and I don’t want to lose that, yet he has caused me more pain than anyone else emotionally.

He gets horribly jealous when another guy flirts with me or when I try to move on and date someone else but he cannot say he cares for me. Should I give it one more try? Or should I just suck it up and try to forget him and lose my best friend?
Thanks, Messed Up.

Hi Messed Up,
You’re right to question this relationship because it’s not a healthy one. There is nothing “two-way” about what you have here. Multiple breakups and continually making yourself available to this guy tells me that you need to work on your self-confidence, your inner strength, and stop being so dependent on someone so controlling and destructive.

This guy fits the controlling profile type to a T. And, he’s using you for sex.
His jealousy tells me that he wants what he wants and will fight everyone, even you, to get it. This isn’t love, heck, it’s barely friendship. He has you under his control and uses whatever he can to keep you there.
He’s going to be a heck of an abuser later on, if he hasn’t hit you already he sure knows your buttons to push to keep you under his control.

I suggest you distance yourself from him and keep him away. Break all contact. Don’t let him waste more of your life away.
He’s not really a friend, he’s someone you’ve been intimate with, on his terms only, and that will never change. Never let someone else have such control over you because when the light finally comes on you’ll find that you really have wasted those months or years with a control freak that never considered your feelings.

You know by the tone of your letter that you need to break up with him once and for all.
And you’re right!

So do it.
Best wishes,
Rob.