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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

I’ve lost faith in men. They seem incapable of genuine affection or loyalty

Illo for Private lives 6 Feb 17
(Posed by models) Composite: Getty Images/iStockphoto/EyeEm

I am a woman in my 40s who has lost all faith in men. My first husband was unfaithful, my second racked up vast debts and lost our home. I then had a relationship with a long-term friend, with whom I fell deeply in love, but he treated me cruelly in the end and I had a breakdown. Recently, a man I thought of as a friend sexually assaulted me, leaving me traumatised. I have concluded that men are incapable of genuine affection or loyalty, and that most of them actively dislike women. When I was married, I felt like a skivvy and replacement mother figure. Since I have been single, men seem to think the only thing I am good for is sex. I don’t want to feel this way. I enjoy sex and miss the intimacy of a relationship. What can I do to get myself out of this rut of negative thinking and move on with my life?

• When leaving a message on this page, please be sensitive to the fact that you are responding to a real person in the grip of a real-life dilemma, who wrote to Private Lives asking for help, and may well view your comments here. Please consider especially how your words or the tone of your message could be perceived by someone in this situation, and be aware that comments that appear to be disruptive or disrespectful to the individual concerned will be removed.


• If you would like fellow readers to respond to a dilemma of yours, send us an outline of the situation of about 150 words. For advice from Pamela Stephenson Connolly on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns.


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