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I read this post and in the first paragraph I thought this could be my husband aside from a few small details. I have a health condition that causes me to be lethargic and I have a hard time getting things done when my meds are not adjusted perfectly. It was a great point of resentment between my husband and I. He felt like he had to do everything and if not it wouldn't get done and I felt no compassion or support for my illness that was out of my control. It took a whole tear after my oldest daughter was born to get diagnosed and still nearly 5 years later I struggle with my illness. There are ups and downs. I'm not a Dr but your story sounds so much like mine.

I totally agree with the others about working on your love busters. You can't improve someone else you can only improve your self but once you start improving your self and others see that you are moving towards a better place they may follow.

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I intend to read those books but also wondered about relationship counselling. There's a place near to us that runs free sessions and all they require is a donation. It's based at the same okaxe where I used to go for the counselling for my depression and anxiety issues. Thought maybe that could help also.

I just feel that we need to get everything out in the open on the table in front of someone impartial and talk about the things which are causing the issues and see if there's any common ground to work on as a starting point to build our relationship back up.

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Originally Posted by MartyB
I intend to read those books but also wondered about relationship counselling. There's a place near to us that runs free sessions and all they require is a donation. It's based at the same okaxe where I used to go for the counselling for my depression and anxiety issues. Thought maybe that could help also.

It could help *IF* they know what they are doing.

Quote
I just feel that we need to get everything out in the open on the table in front of someone impartial and talk about the things which are causing the issues and see if there's any common ground to work on as a starting point to build our relationship back up.

When couples in conflict are counseled together, they tend to fight and commit lovebusters during the session. They leave more angry than when they arrived. This is why Dr Harley doesn't recommend counseling couples together; it is a disaster. The MB program can teach you to stop fighting and learn new skills that will help you become compatible. But more importantly, this program will show you how to fall in love again.

We can tell you what is causing your issues: you are both very disrespectful to each other and fight too much. Neither of you consider each others feelings in your decisions. We can help you change these bad habits and restore the love to your marriage.

Did you read this article about how this works? How to Create Your Own Plan to Resolve Conflicts and Restore Love to Your Marriage


"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

Exposure 101


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Originally Posted by MartyB
I intend to read those books but also wondered about relationship counselling


I would start NOW with the book Lovebusters and start following the lessons at the end of each chapter. There are some questionaires here that can help you both identify the problems, the lovebusters questionnaire and the marital problem analysis.


"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

Exposure 101


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Please listen to these clips.
Beware of Bad Counselors


FWW/BW (me)
WH
2nd M for both
Blended Family with 7 kids between us
Too much hurt and pain on both sides that my brain hurts just thinking about it all.



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Originally Posted by MartyB
At the minute my current main frustration with her is her constant spending. She is drawing money from our current account which we don't have and putting into a Christmas fund and then blowing it all on my son in ridiculous quantities so then I'm forced to dip further into the current account to buy stuff for her and my family because it's what is expected of me. I explained that the Christmas fund isn't there so she can blow it all on one person but she tells me to mind my own business and she WILL do as she pleases. She wants this perfect fantastic Christmas but can't see that she's ruining it by causing us to have money problems.

I am thinking you might find this article helpful:
How to Keep Christmas From Ruining Your Marriage

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I know it sound disrespectful to say this but

I'm going to snip this at the word "but." Basically, you know it's undesirable to be disrespectful, but you have a reason why you are doing it.

Here's what you don't realize:
1. Being disrespectful makes it less likely that you and your wife will be able to solve your problem together. It makes your problem worse! It prevents negotiation, and negotiation is the only way to solve this. And it makes lovebank withdrawals - it causes your wife to care LESS about even wanting to solve it with you. She would be a lot more motivated to find a solution that keeps your sensibilities in mind if you were making massive love bank deposits every day and never making love bank withdrawals.
2. You don't have to be disrespectful. There are ways of talking about your problem without talking disrespectfully about here. She is not "wrong." Rewording your complaints to be respectful is the first step. The FIRST step. You won't get anywhere without that step.

So stop being disrespectful about your wife's perspective on this issue. Stop calling her opinions ridiculous. Learn to talk about the problem in a way that is respectful to both views.

Last edited by markos; 12/18/13 12:38 PM.

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!

Married to my radiant trophy wife, Prisca, 19 years. Father of 8.
Attended Marriage Builders weekend in May 2010

If your wife is not on board with MB, some of my posts to other men might help you.
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Here's a great discussion on Dr. Harley on how to discuss differences of opinion with your wife without being disrespectful:

http://www.marriagebuilders.com/radio_program/play_segment.cfm?sid=04072


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!

Married to my radiant trophy wife, Prisca, 19 years. Father of 8.
Attended Marriage Builders weekend in May 2010

If your wife is not on board with MB, some of my posts to other men might help you.
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Marty, you've become so overwhelmed by the many tasks you have to do, that 'who does what' has become more important than being in love. I hear lots of stuff in your posts about tasks but nothing about dates, conversation, fun or affection.

If your wife isn't in love with you, she won't lift a finger to aid you and then she will leave. So your essential problem is a lack of romantic love.

Few people are motivated to do anything if they are not in love. If you are honest, you are not feeling very motivated either are you? That is your wife's problem. From the low energy description you give, I would imagine she is depressed. Dr H says when women are depressed they almost always are not in love with their husbands.

Women are also much needier when it comes to Emotional Needs - or ENs. They can't endure neglect like men can. They complain more. They leave more. Most divorces are filed by women.

This is not a choice, it is a biological wiring to keep standards high in the pair bond.

Dr Harley wrote an an article "Why Women Leave Men"


Originally Posted by Dr Harley
Many men I see are emotionally exhausted and feel that for all their effort, they get nothing but criticism.

The simpler role of husbands in decades past has now been replaced by a much more complex and confusing role, especially in their relationship with their wives. Some conclude that women are born to complain and men must ignore it to survive. Others feel that women have come to expect so much of men that they are impossible to please, so there's no point in even trying. Very few men, these days, feel that they have learned to become the husbands that their wives have wanted, and the job seems to be getting more and more difficult.


Grounds for Divorce
Men's perceived failure to satisfy their wives is punctuated by the fact that women file for divorce twice as often as men. In other words, their unhappiness with marriage often results in divorce.

The most common reason women give for leaving their husbands is "mental cruelty." When legal grounds for divorce are stated, about half report they have been emotionally abused. But the mental cruelty they describe is rarely the result of their husband's efforts to drive them crazy. It is usually husbands being indifferent, failing to communicate and demonstrating other forms of neglect.

Another reason for divorce reported almost as much as mental cruelty is "neglect" itself. These include both emotional abandonment and physical abandonment.



To create romantic love you have to meet her emotional needs. To keep the balance high, you have to avoid ruinin her love with love busters.

From your description it's all lovebusters and no needs. No wonder she is going. Is it fair that you do everything and are not loved for it? Unfortuantely Yes. It is impossible to love someone angry, unhappy and resetnful. Your wife cannot create something that isn't there - the feeling of romantic love.

But you do have what it takes to turn it around. You don't need a counsellor, particularly since most are bad. You just need to stop the bad stuff and introduce some good stuff.

Elimate lovebusters first. Stop diagnosing her as selfish and as a child and instead ASK her what she needs to feel better, in love and motivated. Definitely do not raise your voice to her in anger again. Never make demands.

Then try to figure out what her ENs are. If one need is Financial Support, you'll have to get a job. That could be the problem. Being at home has made you angry and resentful and one of her ENs is not being met. But not necessarily. From the sounds of it the only need you meet is Domestic Support and that won't be enough to create any love, particulalry not when lovebusters are used too.


It's solvable. Good luck.


Last edited by indiegirl; 12/18/13 04:57 PM.

What would you do if you were not afraid?

"Fear is the little death. Fear is the mind-killer" Frank Herbert.

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How many of these lovebusters do you commit?

Selfish Demands,
Disrespectful Judgments,
Angry Outbursts,
Annoying Habits,
Independent Behavior (acts without her approval)
Dishonesty

How many of these needs do you meet? Do you know which ones are most important to her?

Affection
Sexual Fulfillment
Conversation
Recreational Companionship
Honesty and Openness
Physical Attractiveness
Financial Support
Domestic Support
Family Commitment
Admiration

Also, there are intimate needs (Affection, Sexual Fulfillment, Conversation and Recreational Companionship and Honesty and Openness) and non intimate ones. Non intimate needs like domestic support don't create much love, however they are still important.



What would you do if you were not afraid?

"Fear is the little death. Fear is the mind-killer" Frank Herbert.

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