As the title says, my SO is smothering me in negative energy. They are very combative, always needing to be right, and always talking to me like I’m an idiot when I don’t know specifics about their life (work hours usually as they always change), and little things like cooking methods and laundry and the way I mow the lawn.

I tell them frequently, “let me do it my way and if you don’t like it then you can do it your way”. They really don’t like that.

I always feel like they’re giving me shit for every little thing. The way they talk to me and their tone of voice is always condescending. Every time I tell them they say that it’s just them talking. But to me it’s not. Considering topics we agree on the whole demeanour is different.

We’ve tried counselling, writing problems down and letting the other person read them, and positive reflection time and so on. But the behaviour stays the same.

I’m not exaggerating when I say nearly every conversation is like this. I feel like I can’t talk to them without a negative experience.

At what point does a person give up?