Dear Anna,
My current partner and I started out as incredibly close friends before becoming romantically involved. Since the beginning of our relationship, I've known that they have a history of cutting off people who they feel hurt by or are drifting away from and sometimes lashing out in anger. After dating for a few years and overcoming various challenges, including a long-distance relationship, I've noticed that we've grown apart in terms of values, goals and coping with mental health. I've outgrown the person I was when we first got together, and my partner has remained stagnant.
As I'm about to embark on a new journey in college, I'm excited to explore more in my relationships and meet different types of people. However, I deeply care for my partner as a friend and we share many mutual friends. I'm terrified of losing not only them but also our entire friend group if I decide to break up. I need some advice on how to have this difficult conversation and maintain our friendship, keeping in mind their past reactions to relationships ending.—Lost and Worried
