How can I support my boyfriend, and how do I cope with not seeing him often?
My boyfriend is working a job that means he works long, irregular hours and usually 7 days a week. He's doing this job purely for money, because he is struggling to get work in the industry he wants to be in (music) as there just isn't enough work to go round. He is staying with his best friend at the moment in his study which has a sofa bed, so he doesn't really have his own space. I don't get to see him often, but when he does have time, he always tries to see me and makes sure he calls every day.
I have a few things I could really do with some opinions and advice on:
1. When I see him, I have to go to him, at his friend's, as he will have to be up early the next morning for work, and mine is an extra hour's journey time. But I'm starting to feel awkward being at his friend's as my boyfriend is stopping there rent-free. His friend is welcoming, but we never really have our own space their. Anyone been in a similar situation or have any suggestions?
2. I'm finding the time away from him very difficult. I'm in my final year of uni and have my own friends, so can keep myself busy but I miss him all the time and he is always on my mind. I worry every time I make plans to see friends etc, it will be the only night ill get to see him for a couple of weeks. What can I do to make this easier?
3. I disagree with the way my boyfriend is going about things at the moment. I would never let him know this, but I'm finding it very difficult to deal with the fact that I really think he should be doing things differently. I have the opinion that you can't always do what you want when you want in life and sometimes you have to make a compromise, whereas he sees that as giving up on what he really wants. I know I have to let him make his own choices and I do. I am supporting his decision, but finding it really very hard. Again, any advice?
4. Is there anything anyone can suggest I can do to support my boyfriend, or to help him out? It's hard to make his life a little easier with small gestures like cooking him a meal. As I mentioned, we don't really have the space to do this where he is living at the moment.
5. I'm having a lot of trouble with one of the girls I live with. I've accepted that we will never really get along, but I recently found that she has spread some vicious lies about me, which has been very difficult for me to deal with. I am OK, and am dealing with this quite well now, but my boyfriend feels guilty that he can't be with me every time I have a problem with her. How do I reassure him that I'm coping? I suffer with anxiety and he's worried it will trigger a panic attack and he won't be there to help me through it.
If you managed to make it through all that, please help!