5 Signs You're Getting The 'Crypt-Ick' From Your New Beau, According To Our Matchmaker
If you've ever felt unreasonably grossed out when your partner or love interest displayed a behavior or personality trait considered to be pretty harmless in most situations, then you may have caught the ick. This visceral reaction to your beau chewing with their mouth open or making the same corny joke over and over can cause a loss of attraction and even lead some to consider leaving the relationship altogether. So, while you may have heard of getting the ick in pop culture more recently, the crypt-ick is a similar, yet more specific experience of repulsion towards your partner.
Essentially, the crypt-ick is when your partner is beyond obsessed with a topic and seems unable to talk about much else. This could be fantasy football, Taylor Swift, or — you guessed it — cryptocurrency. To learn more about the crypt-ick and how to tell if you're experiencing it in your love life, we spoke exclusively with Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, to get an expert look at the occurrence.
You roll your eyes or tune out
Surely none of us want to squash another's passion or special interest. It can be a joy to see your partner excited about something they're fully dialed into. But when this topic, whether it's golf, conspiracy theories, or reality TV shows, begins to consume and dominate most of your conversations and time spent together, it's only natural that some resentment towards the topic and your partner may begin to build. You may be in the early stages of developing the crypt-ick if you find yourself dissociating as soon as the dreaded topic surfaces.
"Every time they bring up this one topic you feel yourself zoning out or even rolling your eyes when they aren't looking — you can't help it that you are annoyed by this obsession," Susan Trombetti exclusively told Glam. You may be unable to disguise your annoyance and irritation in your facial expressions and overall body language. Or you might find yourself mentally going over your plans for the weekend or your grocery list as soon as the obsession pops up.
You become avoidant
If you find yourself refraining from telling a story or watching a certain movie with your partner in anticipation of the obsession resurfacing once more, then it's likely you are experiencing the crypt-ick. This sort of tip-toeing around a subject can be draining in a relationship and if your new partner's life truly does revolve around this single obsession, you'll likely begin questioning if that's something you can consistently be around or not.
You may find yourself avoiding your partner's friends who share the same obsession or feeling self-conscious when you're out together that they'll start talking about video games or astrology — and basically be unable to stop once the wheel starts turning. And if someone else happens to bring up the topic, well, you know you're in for it. "You avoid the topic that they are obsessed with altogether. You don't even want to touch on it even if it is relevant to a conversation you are having," Susan Trombetti exclusively shared with Glam.
You quickly change the topic
Another telltale sign you've got the crypt-ick is you might try and combat the topic by essentially playing whack-a-mole whenever it arises. If your partner starts up with the cryptocurrency or sports statistics talk, you'll suddenly have a really funny story you forgot to share. Or maybe you'll even find yourself starting a small argument about something completely unrelated, simply to avoid the obsession dominating the conversation and your time spent together. "You sometimes find yourself trying to change the topic right when they bring up this single topic. You can't stand to talk about it since it is giving you the ick," Susan Trombetti exclusively shared with Glam.
If you're in a group setting, you may quickly ask others questions to take the mic from your partner, so to speak. Or perhaps you'll suggest longer social games like, "Never Have I Ever" or "21 Questions," just to keep your partner focused on something else.
You're in a bad mood if the topic comes up
If you're still questioning whether or not you have the crypt-ick, take the temperature of your mood when you're around your partner and their obsession arises. You may be a patient individual and stand by listening politely when your partner is talking about their interest, but if you notice that you're feeling drained, grumpy, and generally annoyed when this happens, then chances are you're experiencing the crypt-ick. "Overall, you feel annoyed and irritable every time the topic and their obsession comes up. Sometimes you leave meeting with them or a date feeling annoyed," Susan Trombetti exclusively told Glam.
You may begin to have less power over disguising your annoyance towards your partner if you have the crypt-ick and while you might write off your bad mood as just a bad mood — or explain it to your partner as such — this could be a potentially tiring facade to keep up and the larger issue at hand will likely need to be addressed soon.
You begin to fight about the obsession
While you may be holding on and keeping faith in your relationship because there are a lot of pluses present — or maybe you're questioning whether or not you're being overly picky and holding your partner to an unrealistic standard of perfection — fighting over the singular obsession is the most obvious of the signs that you're getting the crypt-ick from your new beau. "You have even gotten into little fights about the obsession. This shows it is something that is greatly bothering you," Susan Trombetti exclusively told Glam.
If you've confronted your partner about the obsession and how you'd like more of a balance in your lives together — and you still find yourselves consistently fighting over the subject — then it's likely that more digging is necessary to determine if you're a true match and if your partner can prioritize quality time with you over their all-consuming interest. In the meantime, expressing gratitude for what you do love about your partner and focusing on what's working well can be a great start to nurturing the partnership — while you work on figuring out if getting the ick is something your relationship can recover from.