In order to have any kind of relationship with him, I have to tailor my expectations to what he's capable of. He hasn't shown that he's capable of validating my emotions, so I need to determine if that's something I can tolerate. I did it for a year, and everything changed when we had sex. My post-intimacy vulnerability and neediness put the spotlight on his limitations, as it often does.

Today I acknowledged that I've been placing unrealistic expecations on him. He may be insulted by the way I phrased it, but it's the truth. Time will tell if we can survive this and if enough time passes, I may move past caring. Right now I still care, but I feel less desperate and needy for a call or a text. That's huge for me.

Thanks everyone!