Women always say, “I didn’t
know he was like that” when their boyfriends perform acts that cause everyone
around them shame. In some cases they really weren’t aware of the boyfriend’s
mischievous deeds, but in other cases women knew well in advance they just
hoped he would stop.
Still many women feel they can
change him. As long as women continue to believe that the power of sex, money,
counseling, personal sacrifice or a host of other strategies to change a bad
man will work, they will continue to subject themselves to mental and physical
abuse. These strategies simply will never work for some men. There comes a time
when women will have to get off their knees whether she is praying to God or
pleading to her mate to change. She will have to stand up carrying her
self-respect in hand and walk right through the door of “end the relationship
now.”
The following advice is written
for women who haven’t yet made a commitment or a baby with a “bad boy.” She may
be struggling with whether she is ready to settle down with him, distance
herself from him or keep him as a friend. Although the best advice is not to
offer to carry him or his burdens and just leave him alone, there will be those
women who will still stay. If those women choose to stay, they have committed
themselves to a hard life of many restless nights, aches and pains at times
mentally and/or physically and they most likely will past negative behaviors to
their future children and their children.
The Liar –
In the beginning of the relationship, you caught him in a few white lies. He
had what seemed like convincing excuses; therefore you let him get away with
them. Now the lying has increased and the excuses have become minimal if not at
all. Actions you may want to consider are the following: Approach him not only
with what you think, but what you know; in other words have proof. Stop taking
his lying lightly.
Let him know that this behavior
you will not accept any longer. If he chooses to continue lying, then tell him
you will have to end the relationship for good. Once you have made a decision
that you are leaving, begin to make efforts to not be contacted by him (change
your cell phone number, block his email address, put places you hang out
frequently on hold, and avoid telling mutual friends about your personal
whereabouts, thoughts and feelings. You must not leave and then go back to him,
he will only get better about lying to you over time.
The Player
also known as The love-vendor – This man is obsessed
with being contacted or making contact with
the opposite sex. He will use cell phone, email, your house phone or friends to
make contact with whomever he meets. He will leave a trail of evidence whether
it is the popular piece of paper that slips out of his pocket with a phone
number without a name, restaurant receipts, hotel charges, cologne or jewelry
gifts, read and sent email that sits in his account that he forgot to delete. He
begins to create a pattern in his actions when you have become old and someone
else becomes new. Look out for this repetitious pattern. He may develop his
pattern after work on a daily basis working later and later nights at the
office then when he comes home he is providing almost too much detail about
what happened at work or not at all.
Another pattern he may create
may be choosing a hobby or interest that is very unusual to his personality and
attending this faithfully, what you can do to find out if he is sincere is
offer to pick him up from the pottery class on some nights. Watch his reaction.
There may also be the weekend pattern of always “needing to get away, have some
time to myself, or I’m so busy with errands.” All the while making little or no
time for the two of you to go out and be seen together. When you suggest new
places to visit, he finds an excuse to take you to the same area you both are
familiar to keep from running into the other woman or women.
He finds a way, anyway, to
travel to places without you regularly using an excuse such as “I’m going to my
mother’s house or hanging out with Rick, Joe or someone you never heard of
Frank.” Be careful family and friends will cover for him. He will call you, at
times when he knows you are out and about to see if you will be in the
proximity where he will be entertaining the other woman or women. He is protective of his cell phone and his computer; if
you tried to check either it may be password protected. You may want to
consider whether having to worry over your man’s whereabouts is worth all of
this aggravation. In time, you will become insecure, angry for no apparent
reason, and develop a since of distrust toward everyone you meet. This is
baggage you don’t need.
The Thief –
He has been around when things go missing. At first you didn’t suspect him and
thought items had just been misplaced or he blamed someone else for taking
them. Yet, you have always had a funny feeling in your gut that he was the one
who made off with your dad’s tools, took your favorite CD, helped himself to
some cash sitting around, and other important items. It is time to come up with
a plan, set him up. The kind of plan you come up with can’t be easily figured
out by him and if you sincerely want your restless conscience to be at peace,
then go to great lengths to figure out whether he is trustworthy. Time is money
and the longer you stay with him, the more items will go missing.
The Hustler –
He is always thinking of a way to separate people from their money illegally.
From identity theft to standing on the street corner selling drugs, he always
has a knot of money and doesn’t mind living lavishly. Now you may think that
what he has told you about his daytime job is paying the bills, but the truth
of the matter that job didn’t pay for the designer clothing and expensive
jewelry you wear; instead it was the second one you may or may not know about.
This man is dangerous. He has enemies and one day some one will catch up with
him, you or anyone who associates with either of you, and the sight won’t be
pretty. You must ask yourself this question, is he worth putting your life and
everyone else’s lives around you in danger?
The
Abuser/Controller – You can never do anything right. He is often critical,
walks around with an attitude and every opportunity he has alone he wants you
to stop living your world to be with him. In the beginning of the relationship,
you justified his negative personality with excuse after excuse. Whether he is
physically ill, illiterate, disabled or mentally disturbed and on medication,
you have a right to explain how you feel about him to him. You may have done
this already and got knocked to the ground whether verbally or
physically.
You may have told yourself that
things will get better and he is making an effort to change. Well that is good
if he is sincere about becoming a better man; however, he can make those
strides without you living with him and subjecting yourself to his name
calling, mood swings, choking, punching, and grabbing. There are no rewards in
heaven given to women who allow themselves to be abused by men. There was only
one Christ in the Holy Bible and you are not He. (Read more about the abuser in
an article I wrote entitled, “How To Know Your Boyfriend Is Abusive” at this
site.)
The Mooch –
You have invited him once again on an outing and he never has any money in his
wallet. During inopportune times, he says he needs to stop at the ATM and you
know there is none even close to where the two of you are located. When he
offers to take you out, he usually picks a place that he doesn’t have to pay
much (despite the fact that when it was on your tab he ordered steak and
another time lobster!) He drives your car and doesn’t fill it up, when you
mention it; he finally puts some gas in the tank — a measly $5 or $10. Holidays
come and go with very little if any acknowledgment from him. Yet, you bought
him (and possibly his relatives) really nice gifts whether it was a holiday or
not. He displays affection, says all the right things, and listens to your
concerns only when he knows he needs something from you.
If you choose
to continue a relationship with this man you have options and they are as
follows. You could stop being so generous and treat him how he treats you. For
example, when you invite him out, treat him to the kind of places he takes you.
Put a limit on how often he drives your car. Avoid helping him when he is in a
bind since you know he won’t help you. Make yourself unavailable to run errands
for him and anyone associated with him (that includes his children by a
previous relationship, his mother, sister or brother.) If he begins to see you
are no fool, he won’t continue to run over you and will grow to appreciate you.
However, if he doesn’t you will be making it easy for him to walk away from you
without you having to break up with him.
The Drunk/
Drug Abuser – How many times have you seen him intoxicated or using
drugs? Is he fun, angry, disgusting or depressed afterward? Are most of the
relationship problems you have been facing associated with this type of
behavior? If so, then you will have to consider whether or not you will help
him get counseling from a distance, continue to live with him and endure the
abuse, leave him alone altogether or create an intervention for him that
includes a professional counselor, family and friends who have all been
affected by his negative ways. If he consistently refuses help, then for your
own sanity and safety, leave him alone.
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