Yes you are worthy. You are worthy of love and a life filled with joy and happiness. I know it doesn't feel that way with all that you have been through and continue to go through, but you are.

I agree in marriage but not if someone is unhappy and not if both people are not willing to work at it. No relationship that is one sided will ever work. Relationships take two people to make it work or break it.

I had a distorted view of how much I had to give to my family. My therapist worked with me for a few years (yup YEARS) trying to get me to see that I did not have to sacrifice ME for my family. It sounds like you may have a similar distorted view about marriage and I do not say that to sound mean or hurtful but to point out that you should never sacrifice your own happiness for the idea of a happy marriage. You are MUCH too important to be forgotten or thought of as unworthy.

Take care

I think the fact that you are working on everything and self aware about many of the challenges you face means you are probably a wonderful and caring mother. You also are certainly worthy of having a man in your life. They should be worthy of you.

I have a few friends who are in their thirties and still do not have kids or any solid marriage prospects so you can imagine the panic that sets in. So, take comfort in your children and the enduring bond you share with them. You are so lucky to have grown children whom you can watch and love. And love yourself above all else. Any relationship or marriage should be just the icing on the cake of all of that.

I agree marriage is a total commitment and should never be taken lightly. I would keep looking for someone who is willing to put as much into it as you will.

Thank you both so much :0)
Hope you have a great day.

Do not be fooled by those aches, they are very misleading.

There is only one way to protect your interests, and your child's interests, by using your mind.

Whomever I was with before was not even close to being worthy to be with ME.

We r all worthy! No matter what..anxiety sure does distort our everything .i agree we all have distorted thinking and its great when we know and understand it. ..i always tell myself that sometimes im thinking too much..because my main anxiety can come from my relationships but i know it will all be ok..i tell myself its not me its my anxiety disorder trying to mess things up lol

It is so hard to raise a child with an ex lover. My sister is going through the same thing now with her son. I have to wonder if your ex is talking about you negatively to your son when they are together. If so than you need to talk to him about that and also I would try to set up rules that are the same for the child in your home and his fathers so the only change that your son has to go through is going to a different home and having a different parent enforce those rules. You and your ex still need to be seen as a united front for your son. As for your new man you need to tell him how you really feel and if he absolutely doesn't want to get married than as painful as it will be you need to let him go and if it is meant to be than he will come to his senses and come back. and if not well than maybe you will find the one that you are truly meant to be with. I hope everything works out for you.

The best relationships/marriages are when both people are already happy and comfortable and complete in themselves. These people who "want" to be with their chosen partner are capable of the best most functional marriages. It's the marriages/relationships where one or both "NEED" the other to fill an emptiness or a hole in their being where things begin to be disfunctional and usually get worse from there.

Work on yourself, become the best version of you that you can be and go from there. I do agree with an earlier poster that big decisions that affect and form the rest of your life should not be made by emotional response, espescially in people like us with anxiety where it can be easily shown that are emotional responses to things are inapropriate and often caused be incorrect thinking patterns that have been taught to us and are ingrained in our very being.

This guy you live with who fears marriage like prison may change his mind at some point, particularly when he comes to a fork in the road. Such as telling him, if and when you are ready to move to marriage, that being just a girlfriend isn't something that you are satisfied with and he's got a decision to make. I would though if I were you put thoughts of marriage off for the near future. Maybe a year or two and allow yourself to work on your weaknesses. Get yourself to the point where you are emotionally complete on your own. You may find then, after so much positive change to your person that your views and ideas have changed. I'd be ver surprised if they didn't actually. You may see yourself as self sufficient and wanting to remain single for a time. You may find that the new stronger you finds your boyfriend less or more appealing than before. He may very well even lose his fear of marriage as you become stronger, or maybe even the opposite since some men fear strong women.

I think the main idea is, is that the only thing you are capabe of effecting change in is yourself and you are in a great position to make positive changes with the challenging evironment around you.
That and the stronger and more self sufficient the individuals are in the relationship, the more chance it has of being a success.