Q: My girlfriend keeps texting with her ex-boyfriend and it is bothering me. I have asked her to stop and she says they are “just friends.” Should I just accept it or stop seeing her?
A: While you cannot force your girlfriend to change this behavior, you can have an honest conversation with her and let her know that she is not honoring your feelings. You have been clear that it bothers you and she is not respecting that. You may also want to discuss with her if she is getting something more out of the on-going contact with him that she is not getting from you. It is something that is affecting you or you would not have taken the time to write about your concern.
Any outside relationships that are felt as intrusive need to be resolved as the stress is on your relationship. You want to get clear why her texting bothers you so much. Once you are clear, let your girlfriend know what honestly bothers you and have a honest conversation about how this can be resolved so you are prioritizing each other. The goal is for you both to resolve this issue so you can live happily and comfortably and you feel good about it.