Welcome to the
Marriage Builders® Discussion Forum

This is a community where people come in search of marriage related support, answers, or encouragement. Also, information about the Marriage Builders principles can be found in the books available for sale in the Marriage Builders® Bookstore.
If you would like to join our guidance forum, please read the Announcement Forum for instructions, rules, & guidelines.
The members of this community are peers and not professionals. Professional coaching is available by clicking on the link titled Coaching Center at the top of this page.
We trust that you will find the Marriage Builders® Discussion Forum to be a helpful resource for you. We look forward to your participation.
Once you have reviewed all the FAQ, tech support and announcement information, if you still have problems that are not addressed, please e-mail the administrators at mbrestored@gmail.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
H
Junior Member
Junior Member
H Offline
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
Hi, I am new here so it is possible all my issues have been answered million times... Sorry if that's true.

Let me start telling about us! Me and my husband have been together for 20 years.... Not very happy years. Few years ago we almost split up until we found Dr.Harley books. It did for at the beginning but not for long. We have good days and really bad days....

The worts part is... we couldn't be diffrent. My husband loves staying at home, if he could't he wouldn't leave home at all. I am the opposite. We try to do as many things together as we can... But there are some things he wouldn't enjoy at all. For example I would love to join a gym so do some classes but he doesn't let me do anything without him. He uses the book as excuse. He keeps saying book doesn't let you doing anything witout me.... I don't have any girlfriends beacuse it'd mean that maybe sometimes we would meet without him. So we always sit at home doing nothing and I feel like I am in a cage... And whenever I want to do anything (even grossy shopping) without him we end up arguing.
Maybe I see it wrong, maybe i just need some elses opinion!

Please help! I am losing my mind.

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Hello Dolly, welcome to Marriage Builders.

How long married? Any kids? Why did you split up a few years ago?

What portion of Marriage Builders concepts did you actually implement?


"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


Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
H
Junior Member
Junior Member
H Offline
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
Hi, no kids. He was very demanding but without giving anything back. He always repeated should love him unconditionally...
We've tried to implement all 10 concepts but we always fail.
I think we are both at withdrawn stage. He keeps saying he hates me and I feel pretty much the same...

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
S
Member
Member
S Offline
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
Originally Posted by Help_Dolly
The worts part is... we couldn't be diffrent. My husband loves staying at home, if he could't he wouldn't leave home at all. I am the opposite. We try to do as many things together as we can... But there are some things he wouldn't enjoy at all. For example I would love to join a gym so do some classes but he doesn't let me do anything without him. He uses the book as excuse. He keeps saying book doesn't let you doing anything witout me.... I don't have any girlfriends beacuse it'd mean that maybe sometimes we would meet without him. So we always sit at home doing nothing and I feel like I am in a cage... And whenever I want to do anything (even grossy shopping) without him we end up arguing.
Welcome to MB, Dolly.

First of all, what book is he referring to, when he says you must not do anything without him?

Also, it seems as if you (or maybe both of you) see going out of the home to have fun as being the same as going out separately. It isn't.

Dr Harley recommends that couples spend at least 15 hours every week in undivided attention (UA), and the majority of that should be spent outside of the home. The only intimate activity that needs to take place inside the home is sexual fulfilment (SF) - unless you are lucky enough to be able to spend time in hotels, and on weekend breaks away from home.

So, if your husband is throwing "the book" at you, he needs to read where Dr Harley orders couples to get out of the home for 15 hours a week, and do recreational activities that allow for conversation and affection. If your husband is refusing to go out on dates, he is depriving you of a fulfilling marriage.

However, you seem to want to get away from him, to go to the gym and out with girlfriends. Why do you want to do that? Is it because your husband is not very stimulating company? Does he sit in front of the TV and barely acknowledge you, or what?

If your marriage were fulfilling, you wouldn't really want to go out without him. Dates with girlfriends would be infrequent. it is nice to see a friend for coffee or lunch, but if this is your main way of escaping your humdrum marriage, the marriage is in trouble.

Many of us on this board, including me, don't have time to go out with the girls, after we have dates with our husbands and spend time with our kids, and go out to work (or work from home), and see the extended family, and we don't miss that kind of socialising.

How long have you been married? Do you have kids? How many, and what ages?


BW
Married 1989
His PA 2003-2006
2 kids.
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Help_Dolly
Hi, no kids. He was very demanding but without giving anything back. He always repeated should love him unconditionally...
We've tried to implement all 10 concepts but we always fail.
I think we are both at withdrawn stage. He keeps saying he hates me and I feel pretty much the same...

Are you married? Why did you split up?


"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


Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
S
Member
Member
S Offline
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
Originally Posted by Help_Dolly
I think we are both at withdrawn stage. He keeps saying he hates me and I feel pretty much the same...
Why would he say that, and why do you feel the same?

I think there has been a lot happening over the years in your marriage, and you need to give us more details. This isn't just about not going out.


BW
Married 1989
His PA 2003-2006
2 kids.
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
H
Junior Member
Junior Member
H Offline
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
I don;t want to go out without him, but sometimes evey few months it would be good to meet up and chat about girl things...
He thinks being at home togheter is spending time togther, even though most of the time he spends in front of his computer.

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by MelodyLane
Originally Posted by Help_Dolly
Hi, no kids. He was very demanding but without giving anything back. He always repeated should love him unconditionally...
We've tried to implement all 10 concepts but we always fail.
I think we are both at withdrawn stage. He keeps saying he hates me and I feel pretty much the same...

Are you married? Why did you split up?


"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


Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
H
Junior Member
Junior Member
H Offline
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
whenever i want to get him out of the house he always says not a problem. But I always feel like I am forcing him! and he wil always pretend he forgot he planned something or deliberately won't remind me, hoping i forget.
I don't want to nag him or feel like I am forcing him. it takes fun at of it

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
S
Member
Member
S Offline
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
I've just noticed the title of your thread. It reinforces my impression that there are serious problems in your marriage. It is actually a bad sign that you don't want to improve the marriage drastically, but only want to do things on your own.

His not wanting to go out, and your wanting to do things on your own, are only symptoms of a mutual dislike. There is something else behind this dislike.

Please try and answer my question about how you came to "hate" each other as you say you do.


BW
Married 1989
His PA 2003-2006
2 kids.
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,479
Likes: 6
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 20,479
Likes: 6
In addition to answering SugarCane's questions could you please answer MelodyLane's questions?


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.



Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 18
M
Junior Member
Junior Member
M Offline
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 18
I think she already answered them... they are married (referred to as husband), and they *almost* split up due to his being demanding. Then they found MB and failed in implementation.
Not trying to be pokey, ☺ Is there an additional clarification that is being sought?

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Myheartisyours
I think she already answered them... they are married (referred to as husband), and they *almost* split up due to his being demanding. Then they found MB and failed in implementation.
Not trying to be pokey, ☺ Is there an additional clarification that is being sought?

I don't see an answer to my questions. I will wait. Thanks.


"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


Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
S
Member
Member
S Offline
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,549
Likes: 10
Originally Posted by Myheartisyours
I think she already answered them... they are married (referred to as husband), and they *almost* split up due to his being demanding. Then they found MB and failed in implementation.
Not trying to be pokey, ☺ Is there an additional clarification that is being sought?
I didn't see any answer to my questions, either.

I think this poster can speak for herself, don't you?


BW
Married 1989
His PA 2003-2006
2 kids.

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Search
Who's Online Now
1 members (still seeking), 369 guests, and 60 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
vivian alva, Zion9038xe, renki, Gocroswell, Allen Inverson
72,027 Registered Users
Latest Posts
How important is it to get the whole story?
by still seeking - 07/24/25 01:29 AM
Annulment reconsideration help
by abrrba - 07/21/25 03:05 PM
Help: I Don't Like Being Around My Wife
by abrrba - 07/21/25 03:01 PM
Following Ex-Wifes Nursing Schedule?
by Roger Beach - 07/16/25 04:21 AM
My wife wants a separation
by Roger Beach - 07/16/25 04:20 AM
Forum Statistics
Forums67
Topics133,624
Posts2,323,523
Members72,028
Most Online6,102
Jul 3rd, 2025
Building Marriages That Last A Lifetime
Copyright © 2025, Marriage Builders, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Site Navigation
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0