A woman has been left at her wits’ end with her boyfriend over his new ‘mewing’ habit, which prevents him from communicating with her in the traditional way.
The unnamed girlfriend took to Reddit’s Relationship Advice forum to ask the internet what they would do in her situation, and it’s fair to say people had plenty of thoughts on the matter.
Apparently, her significant other started mewing as a joke, but the habit has morphed into something more.
Writing in her post, the 23-year-old said: ‘My boyfriend (22) has stopped talking to/interacting with me completely because of mewing. I understand this sounds insane, but I am going crazy.’
She went on to explain what mewing is, and for those who may not know, it’s a technique that some believe will improve the aesthetic of the jawline, making it more defined.
Though a similar name, it has nothing to do with meowing like a cat — though we can imagine that would get very annoying very quickly too.
According to Medical News Today, mewing ‘involves placing the tongue against the roof of the mouth while closing the lips and setting the teeth together’.
However, there’s currently no scientific proof that it works, only some anecdotes shared on social media.
In fact, Dr Michael Mew, the orthodontist behind the viral ‘mewing’ trends has recently been barred from the practice after he shared ‘inappropriate and misleading’ information on a controversial dentistry practice on YouTube.
According to the Daily Mail, he has been struck off after sharing a video on orthotropics, a theory developed by his father which states that misaligned bites and dental problems can be fixed by muscle exercises and physiotherapy.
It was heard the dentist, who is the only orthotropic practitioner in the UK, advised children against braces, recommending neck gear and expanders instead so their teeth could ‘align naturally’.
The General Dental Council told a professional conduct panel that his advice caused ‘harm’ to two young patients, with one boy suffering ‘seizure-like episodes’ after receiving treatment.
Explaining her own situation, the frustrated girlfriend continued her post by saying that in the few weeks since her boyfriend took up mewing, it has ‘basically ruined [their] relationship.’
She added: ‘He’s gone as far as texting me during our time together just so he doesn’t have to speak to me and can continue mewing. He hardly eats, drinks or anything that would cause him to no longer be able to do it.
‘My final straw was this weekend, I was cleaning up around the house and found pamphlets stashed away teaching people how to mew. Not only is he doing it all the time himself, but he’s now spending all of his free time handing these booklets out to strangers.
‘I literally don’t know what to do and even after countless conversations, begging him to stop, I’m at a loss.’
Dozens of people flocked to the comments to share their opinion and words of wisdom for the woman, with many people branding the whole thing ‘ridiculous’. One person wrote: ‘That’s so ridiculous.’
Another urged her to dump him, proclaiming: ‘You’re 23 and should be having fun right now. Throw the whole man away,’ while a third replied: ‘If you don’t live with him, just tell him you’ll speak when he’s done mewing. Leave any texts on read. Effectively, move on with your life.’
Some on Reddit were concerned by his change in behaviour, with one user adding: ‘I would recommend he speak with a mental health professional. Without more information, it’s hard to say, but this level of intensity that is interfering with his functioning and relationships combined with his age are concerning.’
It sounds a lot like this man’s bizarre habit has given the woman ‘the ick’, which Dr Becky Spelman, psychologist and clinical director of Private Therapy Clinic, describes as ‘the sudden onset of the feeling that a person to whom one was previously attracted is suddenly unattractive to the point where physical contact seems revolting.’
Things that can give people the ick vary, but they’re normally fairly inconsequential traits that unexplainably gross them out.
If this is the case for this couple, what exactly can they do about it?
Well, it all depends on the individual person and how strongly they are feeling the ick. Aside from this particular issue that’s bothering you, do you feel that your partner is otherwise a great person who makes you laugh, treats you well and is kind to those around them? If so, it could be a little hasty to dump them over something small.
However, the ick could be an indication of a wider feeling. Do you find many things that they do annoying or cringe? If that’s the case, you might not have the level of respect you need for someone to make a relationship work.
Give it some thought and ultimately do what you feel is right as it would be unfair for your partner to be strung along by you if you’re embarrassed by them or don’t like their personality.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : Dr Pepper addict who drank 4.5 litres a day left with teeth of a pensioner
MORE : Bonnie Blue tells radio host to ‘open her legs more’ in resurfaced clip
MORE : We live in a £69,000 tiny home — but it’s not as cheap as it looks
Sign up to our guide to what’s on in London, trusted reviews, brilliant offers and competitions. London’s best bits in your inbox
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
