9 Signs You’re Dating A Clingy Guy Who Doesn’t Know The Meaning Of Space

Being in a relationship with someone who needs you and depends on you is sometimes quite nice. Who doesn’t love feeling appreciated? However, sometimes it can become a bit much, causing you to feel suffocated in your own partnership. Clingy guys might have the best intentions but they can get exhausting pretty quickly. Here are some signs you’re dating a clingy guy who needs to learn the meaning of the word “space.”

  1. He gets upset when you make plans with friends. It’s important to do things with your partner, but you can’t do everything together. You need to focus on your social life outside of him if you want to feel fulfilled. If this guy makes you feel bad for planning a wine date with your girlfriends on a Friday night, try to figure out if that’s something you want to live with for the rest of this relationship. Without pausing and stopping this behavior, he’s going to try and normalize it. Pretty soon, your friends will start feeling like your relationship with him is more important than your relationship with them. Dating a clingy guy should never destroy your friendships.
  2. When you do go out, he blows up your phone. He might be totally cool with you grabbing dinner with friends, which is great, but he likely won’t let you enjoy it. Clingy guys will blow up your phone with everything from “what did you order?” to “are you ignoring me?” It’s almost like he needs constant validation. This is a really unhealthy behavior that he needs to curb immediately. Being on your phone all night looks rude to the people you’re with, and you deserve to spend time with others.
  3. They get suspicious about a new coworker. If you start mentioning a new name to them, they might immediately feel like a spark will soon develop between you and the new hire. People who are clingy often lack a healthy level of self-confidence, so they’ll view others as a threat. Clingy guys need constant reassurance that you’re not going to cheat. That said, it can be tiresome if you’ve been with this guy for a long time and he still doesn’t trust you or your intentions.
  4. He tags you in social media posts almost daily. It’s not just pictures of the two of you — it’s also memes and jokes. A lot of times, he’ll use Facebook to try and prove to the world that the two of you have a good relationship. In reality, he could be texting these funny things directly to you. Good boyfriends don’t make a complete show of your relationship, especially on a daily basis.
  5. He gets mad if you don’t tag him enough. It’s a good thing to showcase your relationship online, but if he actively gets mad that you aren’t posting vacation photos of the two of you, it’s obvious he’s not very secure and that you’re dating an extremely clingy guy. Don’t let him dictate what you choose to post. If you feel like you constantly need to update your Instagram Story since he’ll get mad if you don’t, maybe it’s time to take a good look at this relationship and see if it’s really making you happy.
  6. He was the one who was quick to define the relationship. You might have been impressed that he was a guy who didn’t play games. But really, he could have been quick to ask you out officially since he’s really clingy and needs a partner. While the honeymoon phase is often filled with the most romance, there are some red flags to be on the lookout for. A new boyfriend who’s into you might talk about your future together during those first few months. But, a clingy guy will get more specific. He’ll talk about timelines, kids, and marriage — all topics that may be a little heavy when you just got together.
  7. He doesn’t have many hobbies. There’s not a lot he can do on his own. Instead, you’re his hobby, and he might take on some of your interests just because he thinks it’ll be a good way for the two of you to get even closer. It’s nice to share things in common with your partner, but if he involves himself with everything, it’s simply too much.
  8. He’ll try every method to reach you. If you’re not answering your texts, he’ll call. If your phone happens to be off, he’ll dial your best friend or your mom. And, he’ll get mad at you — even if you’ve told him weeks ago that you have several important work meetings coming up. It’s nice that he cares, but treating you like a constant missing person is a little embarrassing.
  9. A clingy guy can often get very dramatic. It’s important to identify when a clingy guy becomes too much. There’s a possibility that he has issues that need therapy to officially work out — and, it’s a positive if he realizes this himself. If he’s ever threatened to harm himself if you leave or starts to freak out if you go somewhere without him, that’s a huge issue and a real turnoff. Your boyfriend’s not a child, and it’s important for him to recognize this behavior is unhealthy.
Karen Belz is a New Jersey native who is currently living in Maryland. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication with a focus in Broadcasting and Print Media Studies from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Since graduating, she has written for sites like LittleThings, HelloGiggles, and Scary Mommy and is currently an e-commerce editor at Bustle.

When she's not writing, she enjoys making her phone run out of memory after taking too many photos of her dog. You can find her on Twitter @karenebelz or on Instagram @karenbelz.
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