He says he is not 'ready' for our 1 year relationship?

We've been together for a year, never a day apart and its been great - he is funny, smart and makes me laugh and he says he is in love with me and his behaviour echoes that. I love him and am a supportive girlfriend - he has a high pressure job and i try my best to make sure we work around him, but still he struggles to get through everything and it stresses him out. He is also stressed by our relationship at times (aren't we all!) due to this lack of time for himself, family pressures and the costs involved with dating and we've been very open with past discussions.

However, today he tells me that he is not ready for a relationship and that we should end it. I realise that his stresses before were never really settled, but as we have been having an amazing time together (everything great) for months on end, it feels very out of the blue. To make it more final, he's pushing for us to take clothes etc back and says he hopes we may make it in the future...and all the while tells me he is sorry and he still really loves me?!

What I'm struggling most with is:

A: why this is all so final, we're each others' best friends and being apart is not going to be easy for either of us (nor desired at all on my part!)

B: how he can throw away our relationship quite so easily - it was pretty intense an intertwined

C: What to do now? I want him back so much, I don't want to be without him. I keep hoping we will make it back together as we speak about missing each other, but i don't think this is healthy when he keeps making it so final and has made his mind up.

Any tips on where his head is at and what I can do now?!

Words words words Casey.

No one can mind read.

Just let him go.

He has made his mind up.

Also, intense and intertwined isn't at all good in any relationship.....

He is also stressed by our relationship at times (aren't we all!) due to this lack of time for himself, family pressures and the costs involved with dating and we've been very open with past discussions.

Sounds like he is stressed all over the place. It sounds like this relationship is more of a burden on him and he just wants to be alone. Nothing you can do to change that as he was definite on that. Respect his desires and I think that is the best thing you can do.

Yeah, that sounds like what I just went through.

Sometimes... people are ridiculous. They think if they make it our fault then they get off free.

I'm so sorry. Virtual hugs.

Focus on yourself. You can not make him change. But you can make him see a worthy and strong woman that will be hard to find again.

never a day apart!

365 days in a row together. Sounds like he's kind of bottomed out.

Perhaps a break might refresh him.

Stress is a very good and reasonable excuse for a break up, but that wasnt the reason for it. He had no "Me" time and now he is taking it. You said that there were stresses and one of them was he had no time alone. If you never gave him his alone time then I can see him feeling being smothered.

It was nice that he was your best friend, but he didnt want you to be his only friend.