My boyfriend moved in after just a few months and then totally changed. Should I walk away?

Question: “I am 27 and have been dating my boyfriend for about six months. For the first four months we drove back and forth on the weekends to see each other because we lived roughly three hours apart. He’s always been so sweet and just said all the right things. He compliments me, sends good morning texts and says he's so blessed to have me. He says I’m the first woman whose ever treated him well – the whole nine yards.

Here’s the issue: He recently moved in with me because the alternative was that he move to another state with family (and he couldn't afford to live alone). It's super-early to be living together and I was very, very hesitant, but I didn't want him to move even farther.

Recently, I've noticed he has a big attitude. An example: Before he moved in I caught a cold from him. We were talking, and I said something about him getting me sick. He started raising his voice at me and accused me of blaming him. I've noticed whenever I say something that he doesn't agree with, even when I’m just sharing my feelings about things he’s done that I haven’t really liked, he will blow up and storm off.

I could understand if I came at him aggressively about the situation but I have not. I want to talk to him about it, resolve it and move on. It’s just so frustrating that he reacts like this every single time I bring up any kind of issue we have. Plus when he has a problem with my behavior, I try my best to understand and resolve it. I've talked to him about this, and he admitted he has a history with anger problems but says he's much better now. He's said he's sorry and he’s working on this, but I haven't seen much of a change. Should I walk away now or stay and work on it with him?"

My husband's best friend lives with us: Can I kick him out?

Answer: From your story, there are a few things that stand out to me as potential red flags.

Have you heard of "love bombing?" It may show up in the form of excessive compliments, having an expedited level of commitment and proclamations of true love. Your relationship has progressed pretty quickly, and a lot of his behavior sounds as if it could be love bombing.

Love bombing can be easy to miss. A lot of times we go through honeymoon phases in relationships, and we can overlook love bombing because it feels natural as the relationship gets underway. However, love bombing has a dark side compared to regular compliments or thoughtful gestures typically exchanged in the early stage of dating. Love bombing is a manipulation tactic to get someone invested in the relationship, and it often turns unhealthy. One important thing to note is that it's not always malicious; it can be unconscious. A person with an insecure attachment style or codependency issues may love-bomb without meaning to.

Am I wrong? I won't let my sister-in-law and her four kids stay with us for a few days.

But love bombing aside, it's a red flag anytime someone blows up and reacts in the way you described when their partner is just sharing their feelings. It's OK to have conflict, but it should help us grow in our relationships and develop a better understanding of our partner's wants and needs. It's concerning when conflict become explosive or disrespectful. It seems your partner does not know how to resolve things in a way that leaves you feeling heard, respected and safe. Judging by the way he gets defensive, aggressive and shuts down, he has further work to do on himself and his communication.

If this is a relationship you would like to see progress, I would highly recommend couples therapy. (If this isn’t feasible, sites like The Gottman institute have some online couples workshops that are pretty affordable.) While your boyfriend recognizes his anger issues, if he's not doing anything to address them or change, his self-awareness is a moot point. At the end of the day, trust your gut. If his outbursts escalate, please look into safe exit strategies, and if you need further guidance, Love is Respect is a great resource to check out.

Morgan Absher is an occupational therapist in Los Angeles who hosts the podcast, "Two Hot Takes" where she and her co-hosts dish out advice. She writes a weekly column, sharing her advice with USA TODAY's readers. Find her on TikTok @twohottakes and YouTube here. You can reach her by email at [email protected] or you can click here to share your story with her.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Love bombing? Boyfriend moved in fast, now blows up in conversations