TL;DR: I ghosted a guy I met during a voluntary psychiatric hospitalization after he made me uncomfortable, but he looked up my cell/work/parent's phone numbers and won't stop calling. How do I tell him I don't want to be friends anymore? Should I respond at all?
Sorry for the long post, I read the rule about monologuing, but wanted to make sure there was enough context.
I (24F) was hospitalized for mental reasons a few weeks ago. I got to know a guy (40s M) as a potential friend. He got out before I did and left me his number. My previous hospitalizations were not voluntary and giving out phone numbers was strictly prohibited, so I did not give him mine. I told him I'd message him a picture he recommended I color when I got out. We spent most of our free time together since we had similar interests (cars, art), and he cried and hugged me when he left. This was a tad uncomfortable (he took forever to let go and I eventually gave up trying to put away), but half the reason I get anxious is because I have trouble handling other people's emotions, so I shook it off.
By the time I got out he had found my parents landline number online and left a message. This weirded me out a bit, so I didn't text him right away. Eventually he did get my number somewhere, and I did respond when he texted me directly. I texted him some pictures and he said I was his "little sweetheart" and that he never used the same nickname twice for "girls he helped". I ignored that comment hoping if I said nothing he'd drop it, and responded normally. Then he asked for a picture of me, "a nice one, nothing goofy."
I, admittedly, overreacted. I do not have great associations with guys asking/demanding pictures. I blocked his number and never responded.
All was well for about a week, when I went back to work. Today (Sunday, which I told him I work every week,) he called the store phone 5 times over the course of an 8 hour shift. I didn't answer because I didn't want him to know he had the right number (and I didn't want to get into a potentially private conversation while the store was busy.)
How do I politely tell him he scared me and I don't want to talk to him anymore? Should I, or will responding make it worse? I don't want to upset or worry him and have him show up where I work, because I work the store by myself. Since he has my parents' landline, he likely has our address, too.
Other potentially important pieces of information: I mentioned that we met at a BHU because interaction there is always a little weird - people tend to learn intimate details about you very quickly, and that makes them feel attached. He does not know I know he called my parents' home, and might not know it was my parents - he hasn't called them since. He's taken in at least one girl detoxing before, which wasn't a weird comment at the time but combined with the "girls I've helped" and a comment via text later on about trapping her in the house to prevent her getting access to heroin makes me feel weird. He is aware I'm a lesbian, and seemed chill with it. He has not said or sent anything sexual, other than "Love you," which I throw around platonically all the time. He has kissed me on the cheek, in the hello-goodbye way. I did not tell him I blocked him, or give any indication I didn't want to talk to him anymore.
Submitted November 28, 2021 at 04:11PM by Wolfsrain50 https://ift.tt/3FNXV2y
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