Are you concerned that your husband may be a controlling husband? Perhaps you’ve felt this way for a long time, but have found yourself creating excuses for such behavior. Maybe you feel that it’s your fault, or even tell yourself that it’s just the way he is. The first step towards finding hope for a better relationship or outcome is simply recognizing and becoming aware of some of the signs.
The realization that our feelings towards our partner have changed can be confusing. Is it for the best? Was it him or I that changed? Was I actually in love or was it all fantasy? This can be one of the most painful processes to undergo. In order to understand where the love went, self-reflection is necessary. The recognition of our own behaviors in relationships that result in distance between us and our partner can allow us to understand ourselves and our interpersonal patterns on a deeper level. Carolyn Joyce states that “we must know ourselves in order to truly fall in love with someone else.”
It is never an easy decision to separate or divorce. Even as adults it can be a very taxing process in which we lose our identity, friends, family members, and some financial freedoms. Our adult brains can rationalize or even anticipate the changes that will be coming upon us, but what does it mean for the kids? How do they handle the stress of divorce and what does it do to their view of self and family?
Fighting with your ex spouse is all too common in our world today. This is sad because, as a rule, more contact with both parents is better for children, but only if the parents’ conflict is contained. If fighting with your ex is uncontrolled, children may do better to see one parent less — and be exposed to less fighting as a result. More contact with each parent may mean sharing time with the children equally; but that arrangement is the exception, not the rule.
Caring for a loved one can be a very rewarding experience. You are able to give back to a loved one in their time of need, however the stressors involved can lead to damaging symptoms and caregiver stress or burnout. The demands of caregiving can feel overwhelming at times and if left unchecked they can take a toll on the caregiver’s health, relationships and mental wellbeing. Even the most resilient people can feel the strain of caring for a loved one in need.
Conflicted divorces – Research makes it very clear that the more parents fight with each other — before, during, and after a divorce — the more psychological problems their children experience. This is especially true when children witness or overhear the conflict, or when they are put in the middle of a dispute. Even very young children feel tension, torn loyalties, and mixed messages when their parents are struggling. Obviously, disagreements are expected between divorced partners. Different philosophies about raising children can become difficult to manage, and old hurts and new jealousies can create many reasons for anger and pain.
Children change everything. So does infertility. More and more couples are struggling to become pregnant nowadays. This can lead to feelings of stress, guilt, brokenness, resentment, and failure. Depression and anger increases and leads to more frequent, biting arguments that make being intimate even more difficult. Walls get built, tears are shed, dreams seem further and further away. in a marriage, but it does not have to lead to irreversible damage.
A few good men. Where are they? Do you find yourself attracted to the same types of men? Do you find yourself looking back and seeing each relationship you’ve had repeating patterns? Do you feel like you are stuck in the Twilight Zone with no hope ever to find the man of your dreams? You are not alone and this is definitely something you can fix!
