Close vs. Clingy: Is Your Boyfriend Overly Attached to You?

Close vs. Clingy: Is Your Boyfriend Overly Attached to You?

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Every woman knows what it’s like to feel smothered in a relationship. Naturally, you like the guy, as you’re dating him. But is it really necessary for him to be right at your elbow every single second? And how does he find the time and energy to text you constantly throughout the day and night when you are apart? Doesn’t he have a life?

It’s hard to breathe when you’re trying to have a relationship with someone with no concept of personal space or boundaries, but it’s only natural to feel guilty, too – especially when you hear your friends complain about boyfriends who ignore them. But how close is too close? When does it cross the border into clingy territory, and how can you tell the difference?

Why Some Guys Cling

Truth be told, there’s no one reason why a seemingly great sugar daddy morphs into a stage-five clinger. Sometimes the reasons go back to childhood trauma or bad dating experiences that he’s worried about repeating. Other times, guys are simply lonely and are so afraid of winding up alone again that they lay things on way too thick.

Then there are the sugar daddies who are simply clueless. They think that’s what a sugar baby wants – for her man to be around or in touch 24/7 – and they actually think they’re scoring brownie points by acting that way. And even when he does get a clue, a clingy guy can well decide that the best solution is to cling even harder.

How Attached Is Too Attached?

Let’s get one thing straight. No sugar baby owes a man a certain amount of attention whether she’s dating him or not. That said, you’re never obligated to put up with behavior that makes you uncomfortable. But if you really want a better read on whether your boyfriend’s behavior is out of line, here are some signs to look for.

He Really Is In Touch At All Hours

A clingy sugar daddy doesn’t just call, text, or try to get together a lot. He legitimately expects to be in touch with you at all hours of the day and night, often getting angry or panicked when he has to go any length of time without hearing from you.

He’s All Over Your Social Media

When a clingy guy isn’t busy blowing up your phone, you can bet he’s stalking you across all of your social media accounts. Maybe he’s the type who needs to interact with every last one of your posts. Or he might be the type who never interacts but always seems to know everything about your feeds regardless.

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He Needs Perpetual Reassurance

Everybody needs (and wants) a little reassurance from their significant other now and then – reassurance that they’re loved, wanted, and attractive to their partner. But it’s not normal or healthy for someone to need it all the time or for their bids for reassurance to reveal deep worry about being left, being dumped for another guy, etc.

He Also Needs To Be Physically In Your Space

The worst clingers don’t just feel the need to invade your mental and emotional space at all times. When you’re physically together, they need to be all up in your personal space, as well. If your boyfriend can’t breathe unless he’s holding your hand, touching you, or cuddling up to you physically, he’s definitely too clingy.

What Do You Do with a Clingy Man?

So now you know for sure – you’re a beautiful sugar baby who’s got a clingy sugar daddy on your hands. Now what? Here are some suggestions for dealing.

Talk Things Out

If you still want to be in the relationship, you’ll want to get to the bottom of why your guy is clinging so much. So talk to him about it. It’s highly possible he doesn’t even realize his behavior is bothering you and will be happy to reel things in moving forward.

Encourage Him To Connect With His Friends

Clingy guys often just need something else to focus on – a hobby, his job, or perhaps some quality time spent with the guys for a change. Tell him you want to see him have fun and suggest he make plans to hit the town with his friends. He might decide it’s fun and do it more often.

Take The Reins

Start telling your guy in advance when you’ll be available to text or chat and when you won’t. Don’t communicate outside of those availability windows. Setting boundaries is essential for everyone, especially when you’re dealing with someone clingy.

And if nothing else works, it’s not a bad idea to break things down for your sugar daddy. Tell him how his behavior makes you feel and ask that he make some adjustments. Often a little raw honesty is all it takes to solve a problem when someone really loves you, so don’t be afraid to give it a try.