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Originally Posted by CWMI
I wish Zhamila would post! I hope she is willing to negotiate the mail. I would be interested to hear if they came up with any alternatives that they can both get behind.

Zhamila, how is the mail negotiation going? I hope you can come up with a solution that holds you both accountable. As a person with a long history of IB, one of my tactics for covering up my IB was to get to the mail BEFORE my H could so I could hide credit card bills, etc. Having him check the mail eliminated that ability and allowed him to hold me accountable.

When I explained your situation to my DH the first thing he said was "she is hiding something!" That was his interpretation so I wonder if your H worries about this too?

Perhaps you could hold each other accountable by checking the mail together?


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Originally Posted by Zhamila
Hmmmm, I feel differently about the phone call today.

I didn't like the light-hearted manner around his blow-up after his AM class - and I don't like the way he minimized his AOs, as if he "innocently" or "accidently" yells at me and frightens me, the "pounding" was just "putting his hand down accidentally" as if it's a "simple misunderstanding." Sure he sounded sweet and charming...but I don't see a sincere effort to conquer anger when his last AO was yesterday morning.

I'm sure this has much to do with my "State of Mind" in our marriage, but I am tired of promises to change followed by his saying that "mistakes will happen," and his "it was really no big deal," AO justifications.

I'm not sure what to say. frown


Z- I just wanted to add that although you might have felt like your H wasn't representing himself accurately on the show just know that Dr. Harley is very good at reading between the lines and knows the truth.

Also, my H once wrote into the show and afterward I was a little down because I wanted Dr. Harley to be tougher on him, but the truth is, there is no way my H would have ever seen any value in what Dr. H was saying if he came across as scolding him. Dr. H's style is necessary in order for both spouses to want to work with him. It might have felt light hearted but it is much more likely to have an impact.

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Z, are you going to use Dr. Harley's notebook idea?


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Quote
Perhaps you could hold each other accountable by checking the mail together?
This sounds like a great idea.

Markos and I have enjoyed racing each other to the mailbox, and opening the mail together. Not only would it hold both of you accountable to each other, but it can be an enjoyable moment -- Walking hand in hand to the mailbox can be a sweet few minutes, don't you think?

Have ya'll started thinking of ideas?


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It's the strangest thing -- it apparently makes a love bank deposit for me to beat Prisca to the mailbox every day and open the mail with a smug look on my face. smile


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Personally we try not to check the mail. It seems like the only thing we get is this thing called a bill.


Husband (me) 39
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Daughter 19
Son 14
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Originally Posted by markos
Originally Posted by Zhamila
Thanks Prisca. I'd like to...I don't want to bug him - I mean he's already been so generous & all.

I just feel like I'm going crazy or something. I do have voice recordings and my journal with word-for-word interactions...I'm not imagining all this.

But gosh I feel insane right now.

Zhamila, I am glad I took the time tonight to go back and read through the last several pages of your thread, because I almost missed this.

PLEASE feel free to contact Dr. Harley. He really does want to help you guys, and he will not feel "bugged." Helping marriages is his and Joyce's life's work. Having met them in person, having talked to him on the radio and on this forum and occasionally in email, having listened to thousands of hours of him and Joyce, I can guarantee you that he is really in earnest about offering his help. You guys will need some practice to make negotiations pleasant and safe, and probably some help to negotiate the obstacles along the way. Dr. Harley and Joyce want to give that help -- take it!

I want you to know -- I really, really want you to know -- that you are not crazy! I hope you feel validated on this. Dr. Harley said over and over again that negotiations have to be made pleasant and safe. I think he would encourage you to keep trying, daily if necessary, and to stop each and every time that you start to feel unsafe. I see Dr. Harley validate people on this all the time: until the problem of angry outbursts is addressed, you can't make much progress on other problems.

It sounds like your husband is really sincere and earnest about learning to negotiate with you and about keeping you safe from angry outbursts. By all means, contact Dr. Harley and ask him for help if you feel like this isn't happening, or isn't working.

Don't let anyone on this forum convince you you are crazy, Zhamila.


Thank you Markos. I wrote the Harleys yesterday smile


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Originally Posted by Zhamila
Thank you Markos. I wrote the Harleys yesterday smile

hurray


If you are serious about saving your marriage, you can't get it all on this forum. You've got to listen to the Marriage Builders Radio show, every day. Install the app!

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Originally Posted by markos
This was a fantastic broadcast.

I listened to the entire call (including remarks that Dr. Harley and Joyce made during the letter they read after the call -- they drew comparisons between that marriage and this one), and there is not a single demand on Zhamila's part expressed at all. I think some of the posters on this thread are coming from the point of view that asking your spouse to not do something because it bothers you is a demand, but that is not how Dr. Harley treats it. Whether it be "just" getting the mail or "just" getting donuts, this radio show shows the perfect way to handle it. First, do nothing (don't do it) while you are negotiating; second, make negotiations pleasant and safe by protecting each other from making demands, showing disrespect, or getting angry, and by agreeing to suspend negotiations if either one of you feels the other is becoming demanding, disrespectful, or angry. Then, negotiate, until you find a solution.

Zhamila's husband called in feeling like Zhamila is controlling him, but Dr. Harley demonstrates that the real problem is that they don't know how to negotiate solutions to their problems. Of course he feels resentful until they get to a solution, but that does not mean that he is being controlled or that Zhamila is doing anything wrong. And as Dr. Harley repeated several times (at least three), he's going to have to do his part by not making demands, showing disrespect, or becoming angry, at least if he wants to move past the "doing nothing" phase and on to an enthusiastic solution. That is one of the places I think we sometimes slip up on this forum and fail to hold the high standard Dr. Harley does in helping couples; we tend to side with one side or the other as being "right," or we tend to throw out our own ideas for the couple as being "right," or sometimes we encourage them to stop at "do nothing" as if it were a permanent solution. (That may be because in some situations it IS the permanent solution, such as Extraordinary Precautions, where you should just NEVER do these things, PERIOD.)

Dr. Harley said the main thing that they were doing wrong and making Zhamila's husband feel controlled and feel like there is a flaw in the POJA is that they were stopping at the temporary solution of "doing nothing" and not negotiating an enthusiastic solution. And he made very clear that until they make negotiations pleasant and safe (no demands, disrespect, or anger) they can't move on to the rest of the negotiation process. He says "this is so crucial that you cannot go on to the next step unless this guideline is accomplished." After the call ended, in discussing the next letter, he referred back to the call and said "One of the things that prevents them resolving conflicts is his anger. And I said this to Zhamila's husband: you're never going to resolve any conflicts in your marriage if you have an anger problem. Now, Zhamila's husband is in an anger management program right now; that is what this writer's husband needs to do ... I really think that in the case of Zhamila and her husband that if he wasn't serious about his anger, I would recommend that she separate. In fact, there is an argument to make that she probably should separate until the problem is resolved."


Markos, I appreciate your post SO much.

Thank you for your perspective. This helps me process everything.


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Zhamila, did you see my post here? Can you tell us more about the mail issue?

Originally Posted by MelodyLane
Originally Posted by CWMI
I wish Zhamila would post! I hope she is willing to negotiate the mail. I would be interested to hear if they came up with any alternatives that they can both get behind.

Zhamila, how is the mail negotiation going? I hope you can come up with a solution that holds you both accountable. As a person with a long history of IB, one of my tactics for covering up my IB was to get to the mail BEFORE my H could so I could hide credit card bills, etc. Having him check the mail eliminated that ability and allowed him to hold me accountable.

When I explained your situation to my DH the first thing he said was "she is hiding something!" That was his interpretation so I wonder if your H worries about this too?

Perhaps you could hold each other accountable by checking the mail together?


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

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Originally Posted by Prisca
I've listened to the show now. I see now that Mr. Z is concerned that the POJA is flawed, he thinks they don't have the skills to negotiate, and worries that the POJA will control him. He also downplayed his AOs, which is very typical of an angry man. He barely even acknowledges the problem, quickly brushing it aside. That is concerning, considering that he is in Anger Management and SHOULD be taking responsibility for his AOs instead of downplaying them.

This is exactly my concern. He keeps saying he'll, "Do his best." I've started to hate that phrase...it's always followed by an AO, either that day or the next. frown

Originally Posted by Prisca
Z, it is great that your husband talked to Dr. Harley about POJA. The suggestion of a notebook is a good one. But note that the very first step of negotiation is to make the conversation SAFE. His AOs are going to have to stop in order for that to happen.


Yes! I'm glad, too! I like the notebook idea & the happy face idea. We have a notebook, but I think we need the happy face.:)

Something telling happened this morning: My H told me that yesterday at Target I "demanded" we don't buy the $.17/ea notebooks. Here's what happened: he'd told me earlier that they are $.10/ea and he wanted to stock up. I said that's a good idea. So when we got to Target he started piling them in the cart. I asked, "How much are they?" He said, "$.17/ea." I said, "I'd rather get them at Walmart, we're going there next anyway, and they'll probably be cheaper, more like $.10/ea." He acted irritated and started angrily putting them back. I said, "If it's important for you to get them right now, go ahead." He just said, "Never mind."

He told me this morning that I had "demanded" he not buy the notebooks. When I repeated my statement from yesterday, he agreed that he'd misinterpreted it. I told him that I am tired of expressing my perspective, putting my "wants" out there, and being interpreted as controlling or demanding.

We'll never be able to negotiate if he can't even listen to my point of view without getting angry.

I'm still not sure he heard me this morning. I started getting all frustrated inside - not feeling heard - so when he asked if it was a "pleasant, safe" conversation, I told him "I don't feel very pleasant." So he said we could talk again later and left.


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Originally Posted by MelodyLane
That was an excellent radio show! I remember my frustration learning the POJA, Zhamilia. I also felt like my husband was coming up with "micky mouse" complaints and complained about him to Dr Harley. However, it doesn't matter what I think of his complaints; what matters is that I knock off the offending behavior.

From what I have gleaned here, your husband is having AO's when you complain. In my case, my H was having AO's in reaction to my independent behavior. As Harley has said, a complaint is an irritation in a bad marriage and an opportunity for improvement in a good marriage. In my marriage today, I listen to my husband's complaints, no matter how "micky mouse" and do my best to make him happy. And I sure don't tell him I think his complaints are "micky mouse" anymore.

My point there was that your complaints are not the problem but his AO's ARE.

Dr Harley told my husband that he had to knock off the angry outbursts and get into anger management. That resolving our issues was impossible unless he did that. So the others are right, the first step is for him to follow Dr H's advice and stop his AO's. You aren't going to get anywhere until that happens.

I think you guys would GREATLY benefit from getting into the online program becuase you would have daily access to Dr Harley. Dr H nipped our POJA fights in the bud immediately just by posting to us over on the private forum. You and your husband need that kind of daily, hands on guidance in my opinion.

Z, I am going to post my posts about our experience with the POJA.


Thanks Melody!! Your perspective helps so much. I look forward to reading your stuff.

We were out shopping all day yesterday, and I had a bunch of work Friday, so I'm just now catching up on pages of posts.....


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MelodyLane:

Originally Posted by MelodyLane
While there are no excuses for angry outbursts in marriage, there are reasons, and independent behavior usually tops the list. I'm happy to hear that you're making it easier for your husband to overcome his AOs by avoiding IB. Keep up the good work!

Best wishes
Willard F. Harley, Jr.

This was so helpful, Mel! Thank you.

We're headed to the grocery store today. I'll see how it goes.


Last edited by Zhamila; 08/12/12 11:04 AM. Reason: added some stuff

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Originally Posted by MelodyLane
Originally Posted by Prisca
Originally Posted by markos
"I really think that in the case of Zhamila and her husband that if he wasn't serious about his anger, I would recommend that she separate. In fact, there is an argument to make that she probably should separate until the problem is resolved."
Z, markos is quoting Dr. Harley there. Dr. Harley doesn't think you're crazy - he takes your husband's AO problem seriously. He's got your back here, so keep emailing him, okay?

This is absolutely true, Zhamila. If your H can't get his anger under control, Dr. H will tell you to separate! You need to stay in touch with him.


Thank you thank you! I emailed him yesterday (or Friday? can't remember). I will keep reaching out. smile

He only had one AO yesterday: he wanted to listen to a 2nd song in the car, my son had asked for a different song after H's first one. I said "ok, we can take turns" (was that IB? probably...H didn't say anything, but that's no excuse) H let his 2nd song start playing, and I said, "Can we please let DS do his song first, and do yours next?" H ripped the tether out of his iPhone, threw it to the backseat, and said "FINE." eek!

I tried to smooth things over for everyone...which was probably a mistake. I get so nervous and want everyone to be happy, and sometimes I'm in shock. Anyway, I mentioned it to him later and he begrudgingly said "sorry." frown



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I totally have to confess what I did yesterday. I failed.

We were buying kiddo posters. H wanted to tell a story about a cuss word on his brothers' poster when he was a kid (he thinks it's funny). I said, "Please don't tell them."

He leaned over and started whispering to my DS. I said (with raised voice), "What are you doing? I am so tired of telling you how I feel about things, and asking you to refrain from doing stuff, and you are telling him ANYWAY? This is a serious problem and I have had enough!"

He just stared at me. I felt terrible!!

I apologized immediately and told him I was very sorry for having an AO. frown

I also told him (much later) that I did not appreciate his IB in talking to my DS about the cuss word. He said, "I just whispered I'd tell him later." I said, "Well I'd rather not tell him later. Do you think that story meets our parenting goals for the children? I don't." He agreed.

No matter how sensitive the topic is, I will be careful to NEVER AO - even when it comes to keeping my children safe from influences I'd rather protect them from. I usually do good about this stuff - yesterday I sucked eggs.


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Originally Posted by markos
Originally Posted by kilted_thrower
I don't know about the mail but it seems he's not enthusiastic about him not being able to get the mail.

This is one of the things I think we seem to miss sometimes here on the boards, expecting people to stop at the "do nothing." But you are right, that won't work, because he's not enthusiastic about that. Dr. Harley explains in the broadcast that they should use "do nothing" as a temporary solution while negotiating, and that they should continue to negotiate until they have an alternative they are both enthusiastic about.

This was a great broadcast and I think I'm going to save it to link to in the future to answer "The POJA doesn't work because it lets my spouse get their way, because 'do nothing' is what they want."


I agree and would love to hear more. This seems to me to line up with the Type A and Type B resentments: sometimes the solution will be "Don't" - and then Type B resentment kicks in.

Dr. H seems to say that Type A - someone doing something even when you tell them you don't want them to - is worse. Spouses remember it years later.

Type B - disappointing at not being able to do somthing you REALLLY WANT to do - will go away, especially when you come up with "substitute behaviors."

He didn't really get into this on the radio show w. my H, but I would love to hear him talk about it some more. Do you think it applies? Am I remembering the Types of resentment correctly?



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Z,

I noticed you keep avoiding answering Melodylane's question about the mail. Is there a reason? I can't help but wonder what your afraid he's going to see if he gets the mail......

Also, with regard to the notebooks....before you ever left for Target, you discussed it....actually POJA'd it quite nicely. Then, when you got to Target, YOU changed what you agreed on by saying no, wait until we get to Walmart. Think about how he must have felt......he felt belittled right there in Target by having his "Mother" tell him no, wait until we get to Walmart. Was the additional 7 cents per notebook going to make or break your budget? Was it worth unilaterally going back on what you and your husband had POJA'd? Was it worth causing conflict in your marriage?

With regard to the songs in the car.....first of all, you put your child's wishes ahead of your husband's. Second, you did not POJA the take turns things....you inform him. Again, put yourself in his shoes....you again acted as his "Mother" by unilaterally deciding how things were going to be resolved.

I do understand the AO dynamic, but perhaps you should turn the mirror on yourself and clean up your side of the street first.....what things are YOU doing that push his buttons to the point where he resorts to AO? (There are no excuses for AO, but there is also no room for controlling, bossy, "Mothering" behaviors either. Keep in mind that your LB is being drained by his AO, but it is highly likely that his LB is empty from all the controlling, demanding, bossy, "Mothering" behaviors.

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Originally Posted by Zhamila
Originally Posted by markos
Originally Posted by kilted_thrower
I don't know about the mail but it seems he's not enthusiastic about him not being able to get the mail.

This is one of the things I think we seem to miss sometimes here on the boards, expecting people to stop at the "do nothing." But you are right, that won't work, because he's not enthusiastic about that. Dr. Harley explains in the broadcast that they should use "do nothing" as a temporary solution while negotiating, and that they should continue to negotiate until they have an alternative they are both enthusiastic about.

This was a great broadcast and I think I'm going to save it to link to in the future to answer "The POJA doesn't work because it lets my spouse get their way, because 'do nothing' is what they want."


I agree and would love to hear more. This seems to me to line up with the Type A and Type B resentments: sometimes the solution will be "Don't" - and then Type B resentment kicks in.

Dr. H seems to say that Type A - someone doing something even when you tell them you don't want them to - is worse. Spouses remember it years later.

Type B - disappointing at not being able to do somthing you REALLLY WANT to do - will go away, especially when you come up with "substitute behaviors."

He didn't really get into this on the radio show w. my H, but I would love to hear him talk about it some more. Do you think it applies? Am I remembering the Types of resentment correctly?

So, which type of resentment do you think your husband has? Type A or Type B? I suspect it's Type A........

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Originally Posted by Zhamila
He only had one AO yesterday: he wanted to listen to a 2nd song in the car, my son had asked for a different song after H's first one. I said "ok, we can take turns" (was that IB? probably...H didn't say anything, but that's no excuse) H let his 2nd song start playing, and I said, "Can we please let DS do his song first, and do yours next?" H ripped the tether out of his iPhone, threw it to the backseat, and said "FINE." eek!

He was wrong to have an angry outburst, but you didn't negotiate with him about the song. You just managed him like he was a child who was competing with the other kids. You just informed him what the decision was. I am sure he feels like he was being controlled and is in a position to have to ask permission. PERMISSION DENIED!

I would have not played any songs until you came up with a decision that made you both happy.


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Originally Posted by Brits_Brat
Also, with regard to the notebooks....before you ever left for Target, you discussed it....actually POJA'd it quite nicely. Then, when you got to Target, YOU changed what you agreed on by saying no, wait until we get to Walmart. Think about how he must have felt......he felt belittled right there in Target by having his "Mother" tell him no, wait until we get to Walmart. Was the additional 7 cents per notebook going to make or break your budget? Was it worth unilaterally going back on what you and your husband had POJA'd? Was it worth causing conflict in your marriage?

Even though they agreed on getting notebooks at Target beforehand, when they got to Target, they have to both agree enthusiastically BEFORE any item goes into the cart. So, that means he shouldn't have tossed them in there and SHE should not have said we will wait until we get to Walmart.

The point, Z, is that you can't unilaterally decide that the notebooks are going to be purchased at Walmart. That has to be a joint decision.

The solution is not to STUFF these kinds of conflicts, but to learn to resolve them. Go read my post about the lettuce. It doesn't matter how silly these issues seem to US, if it is important to one spouse, it is important to the marriage.


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