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unhappy marriage

I recently got married in march 2013. We have been together almost 3 years now and everything had been going good, like any relationship we have our ups and downs. Then my dad passed away in june and thats when my marriage started to hurt me. I felt like my husband didnt let me grieve for my father and I started a new job and I work 12-14 hour days so I kept my mind off of my dad. Then anytime I was home stress gor the best of us and we fight. It doesn't help that whenever he is irritable or upset he takes all of his anger out on me. Ive told him I feel like maybe we got married to soon and ive suggested counseling he knows how I feel but nothing is changing. He tries a little bit but then it goes right back to the fighting and its getting harder each day to be so stressed and stay like this. The last thing I want is a divorce but I dont believe in staying in marriage that is unhealthy. I feel like between my dad I realized I want to be in a relationship where I get taken care of instead of the other way around.
Any advice would be appreciated I know this is hard to describe because there's so much going on in this relationship and so many factors but do I keep trying and see if something starts to change or is it time for me to say this is it and seperate?
Ashley & james 3/16/13

Re: unhappy marriage

  • His is a communication problem. Counseling will help him to better handle stress and what to do when you BOTH have a crisis.

    Willing to bet you have a couple of issues communicating and a couple communicating with him, also

    Even if the crisis *only* affects your or it *only*affects him -- because you are a couple it it an OUR crisis. 

    I urge you both to go to counseling: go jointly and separately. Grief counseling would be good for you --- try the web; your local mental health association will know of groups. Churches and other faith-based groups also sponsor them.  Try the web to find out where they are in your area.
  • I'm so sorry for your loss.

    At the very least you personally need counseling for your grief and to help with your communication/ marriage.

    You both going to marriage counseling to work on communication, and any other problems, would help you both immensely.
  • Thank you guys for your advice! Hospice allows me free grief counseling for 1 year after his death so i need to make the call for that. I brought up the marriage counseling again today and he doesn't want to do it. I told him we do have communication problems but he doesn't want to bring someone else into our relationship. I try to be really open but hes the kind of person to bottle things up until he explodes. :/
    Ashley & james 3/16/13
  • I know someone who was unhappy in their marriage too and she pressed her H to go to counseling, but he refused until it was too late. He eventually did agree to go but by then, the wife had checked out of the marriage and now they are going through a divorce.

    I realize everyone is different, but OP, your H needs to go to counseling with you. I'm not even quite sure how you can convince your H that he needs to do it, but the reality is that counseling is an absolute must if you want this to work. Especially if he's taking anger out on you because that's not healthy. And it takes both people to make marriage work - not just you.

    As others have stated, individual counseling for you will be good too so you can be able to process your grief. I'm really sorry for your loss :/
  • I'm not one for ultimatums but in this case it's the truth - "If you're unwilling to go to marriage counseling with me, I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before we get a divorce."  Call his bluff.  He's not taking it seriously because there isn't a serious consequence on the table yet.  He can't afford to be too proud when his marriage is on the line.  

    Regarding the grief counseling - make the call.  It's been 3-4 months now.  Don't put it off any longer.  Best of luck to you!
  • JemmaWRX said:
    I'm not one for ultimatums but in this case it's the truth - "If you're unwilling to go to marriage counseling with me, I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before we get a divorce."  Call his bluff.
    My H was always adamantly opposed to counseling. When things got bad enough, I gave him this same ultimatum. He chose divorce.

    Since we'd had the discussion before and he refused, I took the trouble first to find someone who could meet with us in English (since we live in a non-English-speaking country) in a convenient location, so there would be absolutely no logistical excuses. I laid out the information and said that we either needed to try counseling or get a divorce. He chose the latter. I did absolutely everything I could, so no regrets.

    I definitely recommend solo counseling before the ultimatum. When we first started having serious issues and XH refused to go to couples therapy, I went to see someone on my own. It did really help. I learned some things about the way I communicate that I was able to apply to our marital issues, and it got us through another five years together!
    image
  • I agree with PP.  Maybe if you start working on yourself in counseling, your H will see the strides you're making and decide that maybe it would be a good idea for him/both of you.

  • He finally agreed to the counseling, he said he would rather do that instead of separating so we are in the process of finding the right person to see and I'll be starting grief counseling soon. :) thank you everyone for all of your advice. 
    Ashley & james 3/16/13
  • Good luck! I am glad he agreed to marriage counseling.

    As an aside, when Judge Judy's (love her!) father passed away, she and her husband divorced about 1-2 years later.  She has said a big reason for the divorce is the grief she felt, but didn't deal with, and didn't feel her husband was supportive enough. They actually re-married 4-5 years later and are still married today.

  • Best of luck, and I'm very sorry for your loss.
  • Can I ask what you mean when you say you feel like he didn't support you while you were grieving?


    Click me, click me!
    image
  • Dear hindsight's_a_biotch, & ashmonster,

    My verbally abusive, bipolar alcoholic (ex now) didn't allow me to grieve over the loss of a dear friend. I would have liked a good cry with hubby holding me in his arms, soothingly stroking my back. Nope-he said, "get over it, he's gone, nothing you can do about it". I had got the news 3 months after my friends death & had  I just married this  man-who cleverly hid all his problems from me by only dating me 2 days per week. After the marriage-the monster emerged. No amount of council worked. Anger management did for a time, but the last straw came when I was 20 minutes late getting home. I got called all the usual ugly names (Bit*h, C*nt, stupid). I packed that night in secret. Left next morning after he left for work. No one deserves to be treated with disrespect. If he doesn't change permanently, make an exit strategy & go. Good luck what ever route you take.

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