There are exceptions of course, most of them being tongue-in-cheek jabs or exaggerations, but for the most part, any sentence that starts with “my boyfriend doesn’t let me…” is generally a red flag.
Maybe several decades ago in America it would be considered a norm for one person in a relationship to be dominant to the point of being controlling and arbitrary, but we’ve got enough of a general cultural awareness of abuse and power dynamics now that confessions like these raise a few eyebrows, to say the least.
21. Change your tone
Why, though?
Source: Whisper
20. Getting annoyed
That’s not great – you’re two different people.
Source: Whisper
19. Made up
That’s a level of insecurity that he needs to deal with, not you.
Source: Whisper
18. The outside world
Gross. Dump him.
Source: Whisper
17. The naked truth
Yeah, I’d say that’s an understatement.
Source: Whisper
16. Hate it / love him
Don’t be a prude, dude.
Source: Whisper
15. Wherever he wants
Classic double standard.
Source: Whisper
14. You’re fired
It’s a destructive habit, no doubt, but you’re an adult and that’s not how addiction is handled.
Source: Whisper
13. Hold in my tears
He probably just has no idea how to deal with it so he lashes out at you.
Source: Whisper
12. I still believe
That’s abuse, yo.
Source: Whisper
11. It’s a snap
Get outta there.
Source: Whisper
10. Talk the talk
So many of these are just variations on externalized insecurity.
Source: Whisper
9. Junk it
If they really did, I’m guessing your HR department would have something to say about it as well.
Source: Whisper
8. Psycho
I’m always baffled by people who say stuff like this but then demonstrate no intention of just breaking up with the person they clearly don’t like.
Source: Whisper
7. Watch out
I’m sure this won’t spark an endless debate in the comments or anything.
Source: Whisper
6. Totally broken
Like I said, abuse is not the exclusive domain of any gender.
Source: Whisper
5. Self-sabotage
It’s manipulation and it’s really not fair to you at all.
Source: Whisper
4. Fight the fight
The sleep thing is the worst.
Source: Whisper
3. In my feelings
I can feel, but not you.
Source: Whisper
2. Pay up
Hmm, mixed feelings on this one.
Source: Whisper
1. What a twist
When done right, control ain’t all bad.
Source: Whisper
There’s a dynamic you’re comfortable with, and then there’s abuse and manipulation. Sometimes it can be hard to see the line between them, but it’s important to try.
Have you experienced something like this?
Tell us about it in the comments.