DH and I have a lot of communication problems and are now in couples counselling, where it has been suggested that I often see myself as a child and him as the parent (although it can be the other way round too, hence my username). I think this is true ? when we met (married over 20 years now) I took over his values and lifestyle uncritically. But now I feel more and more like a furious teenager, railing impotently against an invincible parental authority. He is quite insecure himself and tends to decide with unanswerable male logic how things ought to be done and then defend his plan ferociously ? and want me both to do it his way and to acknowledge that it is the best way to do it. His way often is the best solution, in fact (partly because he tends to jump in and do practical things, like anything to do with electricity or the car or assembling flat-pack furniture, which means I really can?t do them because I have never had the chance to learn), but constantly being proved wrong leaves me feeling a complete failure. There is a lot of ?I have to win, therefore you have to lose? on both sides, which I am aware of but don?t know how to get out of.
So, any tips on how I can get out of this mindset and act like an adult when H is being a controlling arse? Something about it really upsets me and I don?t know why ? I can?t even think about it without crying. I wasn?t particularly unhappy as a teenager, but tended to exclude my parents from my life and not put my own views forward in order to avoid conflict, just as I do with DH now.
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feel like a powerless, furious teenager when dealing with DH
5 replies
marriedtoatoddler · 23/04/2012 19:01
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