How do I break up with someone I love?

My boyfriend and I have been dating for just over a year. We are each other’s first bf/gf and pretty much everything else. We started dating our second half of both of our senior year in high school. We went to different high schools though, and started our relationship only being able to physically see each other once a week. We’d talk some way almost every day. Summer came and we were able to start spending a lot more time together. When fall came, I moved about an hour away to go to an university while he stayed with his parents to go to community college.





I love him, but I’m doubting it’s in a romantic way anymore. We have never said that we’re IN love, just that we love each other. He’s been a really good friend since before we started dating, and I think I want it to go back to that way, after some time apart. We text constantly and it gets really annoying sometimes because I can’t do things I want to do because he’s texting me.





The main reason I want to break up is to be more independent than what I am with him. He is keeping me from doing things I want to do because HE hates what it involves. Every time I want to do a certain something that doesn’t affect him at all, he guilt trips me into not doing it, and then I resent him for it. He’s pretty anti-social and only has me and two other friends, whereas I am fairly social. I feel like I’m drifting from some good friends because he wants to do stuff when I’m back at my parents house and it keeps me from doing things with other friends. Over my week and a half long spring break I saw him six times, and I didn’t see any other friend more than once. I’m tired of feeling tied down to someone I can only see once a week at most (normally, it’s once every two weeks. Last quarter, saw each other 3 times over 10 weeks, and all in the first 5), especially when there’s so many people here I have yet to meet.





I’ve been thinking about breaking up with him for a few months. However, today has pushed the want a bit more. Today I ran into a guy that graduated from the same high school as me. He graduated two years before me, and we had a class together the second half of his senior year. We both liked each other and he asked me out on a date-type thing (midnight premier for a movie, a concert, a get together with his friends on prom night, wake-boarding) four times that year, but each time, something outside of our control prevented the date from happening. Well, today when we ran into each other on campus, he initiated a hug, (weren’t that close when we were in the same class) and within our very short conversation, (“Hey! How are you?” “Good! What about you?” type conversation) he mentioned that he does not have a girlfriend. We never really had any kind of closure to our not-dating, besides not seeing each other for two years.





I’ve been trying to get a bit of space from my boyfriend and I’ve asked to be more independent while being able to keep our relationship, but every time he seems to just hold onto “us” tighter. I’m not happy in this relationship anymore, and I think it’s finally time that I end it. I’ve told him that I’m not happy and I should be able to make myself happy and he always starts being clingy, and starts getting physically sick. One time I actually told him that I was just strongly considering breaking up, he apparently physically hurt himself. I don’t want him to hurt himself worse if I break up with him. This has been a big part of me not breaking up with him yet.





How can I break up with him without hurting him too much? I know it will hurt him some, but I don’t want to make it too harsh. I’ve never broken up with anyone or had anyone break up with me, and have no idea how to go about this. Thanks for your help.How do I break up with someone I love?
You have to just break up with him. It's going to hurt him a lot because like you said '; you're each others firsts'; but time heals everything. If he does physically hurt himself because of the breakup, imagine what he would do you if he found out that you were talking to other guys. I feel like the best thing for you is to break up with him. Don't try to be friends because that is like stringing him along. Leave him alone for the time, speak when you see him, but aside from that, leave him alone. No texting, no facebook, no communication on the phone. If it's not physical, leave it alone.How do I break up with someone I love?
Tell him exactly how you feel.


Tell him that you still really care for him but just not in that way anymore


and say it gently.


He will understand. Trust me.
Talk to him and tell him how you feel, guarantee that is going to resolve your problems. If you truly love him you shouldn't break up with him
I do not feel like reading so i just read the title, anyways if you love him why do you need 2 break up with him.Sorta Common sense