Boyfriend Tests Girlfriend's Face Blindness, Leading to Breakup and Stalking Fears

The Challenge of Face Blindness

• 💡 OP suffers from proopagnosia, commonly known as face blindness, making it difficult to recognize even familiar faces.
• 🧠 She relies on other characteristics like hairstyle, facial hair, or accessories to identify people, a process that causes her significant anxiety and mental health struggles.
• ✅ Supportive friends and family help by introducing themselves or wearing recognizable items, but her boyfriend's behavior creates a unique stressor.

Boyfriend's "Tests" and Escalation

• 🎯 OP's boyfriend, instead of being understanding, would test her loyalty by changing his appearance (shaving his beard, different clothes/hairstyles) without warning.
• 🎭 He would also pretend to be someone else or joke about switching with friends to see if she could identify him.
• 💔 This behavior caused OP immense anxiety, leading to arguments where he claimed he had a right to change his look and that she couldn't take a joke.

Community Advice and Initial Breakup

• 💬 Reddit commenters largely condemned the boyfriend's actions as ableist pranks and a form of manipulation, advising OP to make her feelings clear.
• 🗣️ Some suggested direct communication, while others warned of red flags and the possibility of him not caring about her feelings.
• 💔 Following the advice and realizing the severity, OP initiated a breakup, though the conversation was difficult, with the boyfriend becoming angry and defensive.

Post-Breakup Stalking and Paranoia

• 😨 Months after the breakup, OP experienced incidents where she believed her ex was stalking her, appearing in places she frequented and denying his presence.
• 😟 This led to intense paranoia and self-doubt, making her question her own perception due to her face blindness and his gaslighting.
• 📸 OP began trying to document these encounters with videos and photos to gather proof, while friends and commenters supported her belief that he was indeed continuing to harass her.

Resolution and Lingering Effects

• 🎬 A friend eventually exposed the ex, leading to angry messages from him and confirmation of his presence, though concrete proof for earlier incidents remained elusive.
• ⚖️ OP explored legal options like a restraining order but found it difficult to obtain.
• 😥 Despite relief that the harassment might end, OP remains heartbroken and paranoid, struggling to process the abuse of her disability and seeking ways to move forward.