is this just one of those mandatory tough phases a relationship goes through?

my boyfriend(24 m) and I(23 f) have been together since last December. we have a good time together and everything seems fine until we have a discussion. seven out of ten times, the discussion turns into an argument where he tries put me down while trying to make his point. when i try making my point, he chuckles/smirks at me as an attempt to make me feel small(i am not sure what his intention is, but i feel belittled when he does that and i told him multiple times about his little chuckle or the faces he makes, makes me feel like, he continues doing it regardless). it feels like he's trying to tear my self-esteem down by doing it.

this pattern has been happening for a while which eventually made me shut myself down. now that i am actively not engaging in a conversation with him, he's blaming me saying i have lost interest in the relationship. i do not feel safe at all to put my point of because i am constantly being torn down.

in another conversation that happened 2 days ago, he has stated that it is important to disagree in a discussion because that is how there we could have something to talk about and if we agree, there would no chance for us to explore other possibilities. this statement just does not sit right with me at all. i believe that a healthy discussion can only happen if there is a sense of respect for the other person across the discussion regardless of agreeing w the point one is saying or not. as a result, i feel extremely disrespected and belittled.

so today, i was busy with a couple of things(i am going through a job change, and my joining is on 1st september and i want to do a couple of things for myself before i get busy with life again) and have not responded his good morning texts asap and took my time for it. when i called him tonight, he expressed his displeasure about how i have not been enthusiastic in the relationship lately and how he's not receiving the same kinda affection he'd receive from me. i did not respond instantly as i was trying to process what he was saying. he was like why are you not reacting, why can't you comfort me. it is not like i do not want to comfort him but to try register what he was saying.

since i am having a hard time in taking in whatever he was saying, i asked him to write down whatever he was feeling and send it to me as a text. he lashed out at me saying that he cannot text as he doesn't like texting.(here, my brainfog is making things hard for me. i am having hard time to contemplate, the only reason i am asking him to text me is to make things understandable for me) i honestly think it is the little effort that he's trying to put into the relationship.

during the argument, when he asked me why i am still not answering about why we are not talking like we used to, i told him that there is nothing interesting these days to talk about. he got angry and cut the call. i feel humiliated.

in general, he says that i am assuming. when i asked him to not call me assuming all the time but actually listen to what i am saying, he says that he's actually listening to me and that i have a wrong idea and i am assuming that he's calling me assuming everytime when he's actually not. all of this is messing with my head a lot.(basically, gaslighting)

i really love this man and saw a future with him. i am deeply hurt.

he is really sweet, helps me with life and everything seems sorted. he was there for me during hard times. i was rooting for this one. this boy made me feel safe and heard once. i am not sure what happened and how things went wrong.

how do i deal with this?

please do not mind grammar/spelling mistakes as i am barely functioning.