I Can’t Keep Doing This Alone

Hi, my name is Leo, and I don’t know who else to talk to about this. I’ve been a simp for… I don’t even know how long. Years, probably. And it’s destroying me, quietly, slowly, in ways I didn’t even notice until now.

There’s a girl. I’ll call her Mia. She’s incredible. Smart. Funny. Beautiful. Every time she laughs, I feel like the world makes sense for a second. I’ve spent years trying to make her happy. Not because she asked me to. Not because she even notices. But because I want to. Because I thought that’s what love was.

I’ve done everything I can think of to be the “perfect” guy. I listen to her problems. I help her with things she didn’t even ask me for. I remember details about her life she probably forgot she told me. I comment on her posts. I send little gifts. I show up for her emotionally every single time.

And what do I get in return? Nothing. Sometimes she’s kind. Sometimes she laughs at my jokes. Sometimes she thanks me. But the truth is, she doesn’t feel the same way. She told me straight up once that she only sees me as a friend. And still… I can’t stop.

I know it’s pathetic. I know I should walk away. I know my friends would say, “Dude, stop. She doesn’t like you.” But it’s not that simple. I can’t just flip a switch. I want her to see me the way I see her. I want to be enough.

I’m asking for help because I don’t know how to stop. How do you stop caring so much about someone who doesn’t care back? How do you stop sacrificing your own happiness, your own time, your own dignity, for someone who would never do the same for you?

I feel like I’m trapped in my own head. I feel like I’ve spent so long giving that I don’t even know what I want for myself anymore. I don’t know how to be happy without her. I don’t know how to set boundaries, because I’m scared she’ll disappear if I do.

I don’t want to be this guy forever. I want to stop simping. I want to feel like I matter without proving it through over-giving. I want to be chosen, not begged for.

Please… someone tell me how to start. How to stop giving so much to someone who will never give the same back. How to put myself first without feeling guilty.

I don’t have anyone else to say this to. I’m just… asking.