Your behavior is a manifestation of post traumatic stress. loneliness and endless dispair. Most likely drowning in insecurity. You were NEVER validated in the stages of your life where u needed it most and that’s why you spend your days searching for vindication. It’s okay.. you’ll eventually get tired and stop ignoring that ‘inner me’ while you fighting the imaginary enemies.
This right here. Home boy is only 23...Jesus.
OP, you do indeed struggle with post traumatic stress. You're living an unsustainable lifestyle that is based deeply on traumatic childhood episodes likely brought on by a surrounding of selfish, neglectful, or emotionally unavailable parenting which is unfortunately rampant in the black community in particular (you see it a whole lot in Asian communities as well.) Your childhood was likely robbed from you from the very selfish and childish "adults" who should've embraced it and embraced you. And unfortunately we're taught in our communities that not only are parents, grandparents, and "ancestors" above any and all criticism, in fact their erratic, cruel and even abusive behaviors are a show of strength and resilience. We honor their most selfish and self absorbed behaviors--completely ignorant of the feelings and emotions of their own child--as having made us "stronger." We even anticipate the day we get ourselves a "wifey home and kids" so that we can emulate and pass down that ignorance. The amount of times I read threads here with clearly traumatized young cats talking about how they gonna be with their wife and kids and just getting it all wrong from jump with all the ignorant crap they clearly experienced form their own families. We absorb the trauma of dealing with ignorant, abusive a$$holes who may have unfortunately been our own parents and then enter adult lives full of horrible debilitating stress, depression, and anxiety that can't even be safely left alone and wonder where it came from while we proudly reminisce all the physical beatings and verbal abuse we endured from good ole mama who didn't play games.
People like to laugh at Karen "negotiating" with little Billy throwing a whole tantrum because he wants a toy and can't have it, but y'all don't understand this is a helluva better approach to raising a self-reliant, mentally healthy, self regulating and empowered child then that "Ain't no one gonna talk to me that way" immature BS we embrace from our parents and in our families. OP you're story is a lie. Your mom or your parents were far from the best ever whether you can accept that or not. Your childhood was robbed by narcissists and idiots. You were hurt and you are still hurt. Running into relationships, sexual or otherwise, in order to feel complete, comfortable in your own skin, and validated in life is just you trying to run away from your trauma and depression. It will lead to even greater trauma and depression, for both you and the people you are bringing into your (unresolved) adult life--particularly your own perspective children-- as you get older and take on more if you don't seek therapy and make changes. You will repeat the same cycle of poor self-regulation, poor parenting and you will rob your own kids of their mental and emotional stability as adults, as you were left to struggle with now.
Mental health issues run all too rampant in our communities. We have so many "adults" and even "parents" walking around our communities who are just emotionally crippled, abused, and insecure children themselves, ignorant of their toxic behaviors and then passing it down to others. It's gotta stop and I'm so glad black folks, we can talk more about poor dynamic in our families and poor mental health. Slowly tearing down the "god-like, mystical, resilient" black mother/father/ancestor trope that is destroying us generation after generation and finally embracing our own mental health in a real way. I wish you luck OP, for real. Please don't lead your adult life holding on to trauma and making it all about relieving fear of loneliness. You are better and greater than that and a therapist will help you navigate it. Don't ignore the little inner you that's been trying to be heard for a long time. Don't ignore how you truly feel.