Girlfriend loses self-esteem when addict boyfriend betrays her trust

Dear Abby: I’ve been with my boyfriend, “Rocko,” for two years, but in the late months of last year, he became distant. He would disappear for days at a time, block my phone number and ignore me. I was sure he was seeing another woman or taking drugs because he is an exaddict.

Two months ago, he was arrested. I was right — Rocko was on drugs and had been hanging out with another woman. Like any man who’s caught, he swears she was “just someone to get high with” and nothing happened between them. It has destroyed my self-esteem. I hate myself.

Rocko is currently in rehab and seems to be doing wonderfully. I have asked him a lot of questions and said I needed him to be truthful. So far he has been honest. He still denies anything happened.

He says he wants to save our relationship and start a new life together now that he’s clean. How do I do this? I don’t trust him! I’m already doubting everything he says and does. I know he needs to earn my trust back, but how do I let that happen? How do I even begin to forgive him for everything he has done to us? — Jumble Of Emotions In Kentucky

Dear Jumble: You wrote that the way Rocko treated you has destroyed your self-esteem. Work on rebuilding it, and once you have done that, ask yourself why you should continue to be involved with someone as unstable as this man.

Disappearing for days at a time, blocking your number and ignoring you when you reach out is brutal. It is abusive. Rocko has been around this track before and may again. If you don’t have it in you to stay and see this through to a possibly positive conclusion, end the relationship.