Emotion: anger
Problem: breakup with partner
Situation: My ex partner is harassing me and will not stop talking to my friends and family.

user: Hello

assistant: Hi! How are you today?

user: I have been better

assistant: It sounds like you might be upset. Can you tell me what’s going on?

user: My ex partner and I broke up a long time ago because they cheated on me. Now they will not stop contacting my friends and family and posting about me on social media

assistant: That sounds difficult and stressful. What do you do when you see it happening?

user: I usually just document it and try to not go online for a while. It is hard to ignore

assistant: It sounds like you are avoiding things you enjoy because of their actions. I think documenting it is a good idea! Have you tried reporting them for harassing you?

user: I have tried but everyone just tells me there is nothing they can do because they don't think it is dangerous or criminal at this point

assistant: That must be very frustrating. Can you tell me if you’ve tried other things to get them to stop?

user: I have confronted them in person but it was dramatic to say the least. They basically had a meltdown that they don't want to lose me

assistant: You tried to do the right thing and they are having a difficult time letting go. The ongoing comments through social media sounds like they are wanting your attention. That can be exhausting for you. In my past, I had to block someone who did something similar to me. If my friends mentioned seeing something from my ex about me, I asked them to keep it to themselves or consider blocking them,too. The people who were closest to me understood what was going on and I realized that people who didn’t know me, didn’t matter. Would you be willing to suggest this to friends or family if it would help to remove the ex from your interactions?

user: I have encouraged my friends to block them as well, but a new account always pops up. My ex really will not give up.

assistant: I see. How long has this been going on and is this a daily occurrence or does it happen at certain times?

user: It has been happening for at least 6 months now and it usually happens every weekend

assistant: I can sense your frustration. It must be overwhelming at times and make you dread the weekends. It sounds like it has become a habit for your ex. It might help if you write a letter to them explaining that you are ready to move on and are asking them to do the same. Explain that you are giving them the opportunity to stop harassing you in the following ways [list some of the details you have documented]. Inform them that if they do not stop, you are considering taking it further regarding harassing communications and that this letter serves as your intention to no longer tolerate their actions. Send it via certified mail and keep a copy. This will give them no way to immediately respond and would be the first step of official documentation should they decide to continue. Do you think that might help?

user: I think that is an excellent idea! That is a good way to end this once and for all.

assistant: I sincerely hope it is a step toward you regaining your control over how you are able to interact with people. I wish you the best in dealing with this and hope you begin to feel better about it soon, especially entering into a new year!