Is this behavior normal?

This is kinda long, so bear with me, because I really need some unbiased, honest opinions here.

My boyfriend and I have been dating for 9 months now. We both have horrendous pasts, with more pain and suffering than most have endured in a lifetime. Before you get the wrong idea about him, let me clarify. I am happy for the first time in the entire time I have been alive and the 9 months I have been dating him have been the best of my life. We have a great relationship and what the majority of people would call the stereotypically "perfect" relationship. To give you a good idea of what I mean, we both had a crush on one another for two long years since first meeting one another, but were both too afraid to say anything. I figured he wouldn't go for me since he would be considered the "bad boy" type and that he probably saw me as a goody-two-shoes, even though I'm not. He figured that I wouldn't go for him because he saw me as way out of his league. So, it was actually me who, early on this year in January, decided to talk to him. We really hit it off and finally confessed to one another that we had been crushing on each other for two years. So, we started dating and since then, we have been through a lot of crap together. From him almost getting arrested, to me being beat by my dad for the first time in years and running out in 28 degree weather, bruised and cut to pieces, in a short-sleeved shirt and no shoes and fleeing to my boyfriend's house, where he comforted me and protected me from him, to going on a vacation together with my family to the beach, where we walked along at midnight with the moon above us, talking about life and our future together with the waves crashing around us and falling asleep together on a tiny twin-sized blowup bed. Yeah, that kind of perfect. He has given up smoking, drinking and partying altogether for me, is extremely protective of me, outwardly affectionate towards me, and pretty much does anything and everything for me. I am completely selfless towards him and do anything and everything for him. Giving him massages, sex whenever, cooking for him, buying stuff for him, playing videogames with him, supporting him, letting him use my boobs as pillows, basically everything a guy could ever want from a girl. He confided in me that I'm the only girl he has ever loved and told "I love you" to, and he is the only guy I have ever really loved as well. We have also bought promise rings for one another and have made it very clear to each other that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together.

Now, onto the reason why I've brought you here. He gets extremely jealous, I can never mention another guy paying me any attention whatsoever without him getting in a jealous fury about it. Mainly toward the other guy, but it still makes me feel guilty, even though there's not a thing I can do about other guys showing me attention. And I don't warrant the attention, I make it very clear that I'm in a relationship. 99.9% of the few fights we've had have had to do with another guy showing me attention. He has also made it clear that he doesn't want me having any guy friends, and doesn't even want me talking to any other guys at all outside of school or workplace. He claims he is this jealous and protective because he has been hurt and cheated on many times in the past, yet I've been in nearly triple the amount of relationships and have been hurt way more. He has the worst trust issues I have ever seen in my entire life. He doesn't trust anyone at all, and doesn't even fully trust me, even though I am the most loyal girl you will ever find and am still with him after everything. He is very stuck in the past, in my opinion, and constantly brings things up from the past. Hence, him being paranoid because his exes have cheated on him. He almost left me a few months ago because he found out that I had sent nudes to a certain guy before I met him and because I didn't tell him about it. He says that I lied to him about it, when I merely didn't tell him about it because I wanted to leave it in the past, which in my opinion wasn't lying. I never lie. He constantly holds this over my head whenever we get into arguments and claims that it's why he can't trust me. He is extremely insecure because he used to be overweight and sees himself as fat all the time, even though he is a bodybuilder now and completely ripped. His views of himself are so low, he thinks he has nothing to offer me and that someone is going to steal me away, which isn't true, but he continues to think it despite the thousand times I've reassured him it isn't going to happen. Every time we get into an argument, he always eventually says that he's "wrong," but he says it in a sort of way that makes me feel guilty, like "But I guess I'm wrong, like always," even though I don't do anything to make him feel that way. He also always says that I don't listen to him and that I don't communicate with him straight-up, even though I'm told by everyone that I'm the best listener and I'm known for my blunt honesty. When we argue on the phone or on Skype, he talks over me and won't let me say anything, and then complains towards the end of the conversation that I'm not talking and expressing how I feel, which by that time, I've already forgotten what I wanted to say or I feel like all of my points are irrelevant. Might I also add, I have a history of a very abusive step-dad, and I shrink back and close myself off when I hear anger in my boyfriend's voice out of instinct and habit. Also, once, I asked him what he thought about the idea of me joining a sorority and he flew off the handle. He said at one point "If you join a sorority, it will be the beginning of the end for us." I also told him today that I got a modeling offer and his response was "Lol cool." He also doesn't like when I post certain things on social media, like something that might suggest negative things about him, even though I never say anything bad about him and the grand majority of the things he thinks are about him, aren't. He doesn't want me liking or commenting on certain guys posts either. I can't post anything even slightly revealing (like cleavage, even though I have big boobs and most of the time can't help it) without him flying off the handle. But other than all of that crap, he's a huge sweetheart and does basically anything and everything for me. He's even the only one who has ever taken care of me when I was sick. (I get these stomach episodes due to a disease I have and afterwards it makes me really weak. I fell asleep on the couch after an episode once and he said I was curled into a little ball shivering and I woke up with a blanket on me and he held my head up and helped me drink a bottle of water.)

That's basically the gist of his behavior. So, is the bad behavior part normal? What do you guys think? Please post a comment below of your thoughts on the situation and please - nothing rude. Thanks :)

Voting Results
46% Normal
Based on 13 votes (6 yes)
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Comments ( 10 )
  • tell him something simple like...please dont give me drama we've been thru too much....good luck

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  • Wow, I have a lot to say about this.
    First of all neither of your behaviors are normal.

    Your boyfriend obviously has a lot of issues and he cannot blame anybody for himself for how he is thinking, but that would very hard for him to admit.
    His extent of jealousy and need for control is far from normal. I think he sounds self centered and weak minded.

    Your problem is obvious as well. You describe yourself as an ideal victim. Just from your statement of being selfless describes that. People who put others before themselves constantly are the perfect people to use. Nobody truly respects them, but they keep them around because it's like having a mindless robot.
    How can you help anyone when you do not do things for yourself first? All you can do anymore is enable the people who use you to become even more lazy and narcissistic than they already were.
    In the end selflessness was the most selfish thing to do.

    Now your boyfriend is just going to have to get over his pussy hurt and deal with things. If he doesn't like it, he needs a strong woman to whip him in shape, or nobody at all. If you can't do that you will go in a downward spiral together, so either be assertive or leave.

    That becomes your biggest issue is that you are not being assertive and saying "You do not tell me what to do". If you have trouble understanding how, ask google. Until you learn this you will continue to be seen as a victim to almost everyone.

    Don't think you "need" a partner either. Most people are better off alone but don't realize that. Just because society advertises romance doesn't mean it's as great as Disney.

    Lots of people have fucked up lives and yes, sometimes they have problems because of it, but don't let that get in the way of your future. I've known people who have pasts worse than most horror movies I've seen and some of them find a better life while others go to prison, commit suicide, end up homeless, etc. But I think they all had potential at one point. Get away from your family too and work on yourself, because people only change themselves.

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    • shuggy-chan

      People need to be able to love themself before they can love other, as cliche as that sounds it rings true way more often then not.

      And my opinion is that till your can do that and grow ip a bit mentally, your both doomed to an increasingly frustrating relationship till it may even spoil the good think you guy got going.

      And sadly many people dont learn unless its the hard way through losing what they have

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      • MadameAM

        Sorry, but both of you misunderstand. I suggest you don't judge someone you know nothing about. I never said that I'm insecure. I love myself and am very confident and comfortable in my own skin. I also never said that I let him boss me around or control me. I have parents for that and they're already controlling enough. If you honestly think I let him control me or use me, you're sadly mistaken. If you really knew me, you'd know that I have a very fiery personality and I'm not about to let anyone control me or use me - not even the person I love most. I know what I deserve, and I deserve the best that is out there for me. I also never said that I put him before myself. I'm selfless because I love him. That doesn't mean that I think my own happiness, desires, or wants are unimportant. There's a big difference. If I were not happy, I wouldn't be with him. I've been through too much crap and pain in my life to not know that I deserve to be happy. I also don't see myself as a victim, and others don't either. I'm the last person that is going to let anyone run all over them. I was giving an honest account of the events. I'm perfectly capable of admitting to my mistakes, and I do exactly that when I've made them, and trust me - I've made plenty. I'm actually extremely mature for my age and wise beyond my years. I was forced to grow up at an extremely young age, so I grew up a long time ago. But thanks for your opinions nonetheless. Just don't judge someone you don't really know at all.

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        • You made it sound like he is controlling because of his jealousy issues. The fact that he gets upset over something like talking to a guy at work is ridiculous. You can't say that expecting you to cut contact with %50 of society is not controlling. Sometimes people just need to toughen up and accept what they dislike. Anyone who tolerates ridiculous behavior like this makes a perfect person to take advantage of and is seen that way by most people.

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        • shuggy-chan

          my comment wasnt directed toward you so much as your BF.

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          • shuggy-chan

            There is a difference in being self-deprecating in a "tongue and cheek" way and being unhappy to hating yourself. Because you truly cannot Love someone, long term, when you cannot love yourself.

            He strikes me as a more extreme case of how I, myself, used to be from how you described him. "Your his world and your the best thing that ever happened to him" does that sound about right?

            That is only half right from what it should be, his world should include himself too, just you.

            With that sort of view he will most likely be doomed to strain the relationship more and more, because instead of improving himself he is putting all this eggs in your basket. But your improving yourself and he will be at a stand-still.

            And as you move forwards in your life, he will pull harder and harder to "keep you", keep the person you are growing out of.

            You guys need to grow as a couple, "Together" and to do so he needs to mature mentally and learn to basically chill.

            anywho, wish you guys the best

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  • Electricman11376

    He has trust issues. Prob. Been hurt by a girl before that he trusted. Talking to him is ur next step. Good luck.

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  • Morgan_Freeman

    Well I think he needs to stop being a little pussy. Not trying to be rude but, people that controlling will be abusive. No, he's not abusive now because he wants you to marry him so he can use you. you can't deny that hes a pussy either. He is wayyyyy to controlling.

    Narrated by Morgan Freeman.

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    • GraveRogue

      I think it's sad...

      That I read your whole, comment...in his voice. Haha, it made me lol so hard. Thank you for that. XD

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