Honestly, it had barely anything to do with my partner or the marriage. Sure, he had his moments, but overall, he was a great husband, friend, and father. The problem wasn't not loving him; it was not loving ME. Once I got a taste of the validation of being 'adored,' I was hooked. It was like an addiction; I knew I needed to quit, but just couldn't get over it.
Stopping disagreeing isn't a sign of peace, it points to emotional withdrawal, explains Simone Bose, a relationship therapist at Relate. It happens, says Bose, because couples are likely protecting themselves from feeling disappointed or from conflict itself, but are becoming emotionally numb. Clinical psychologist and Couples Therapy star Dr Orna Guralnik agrees, noting that some people don't argue because they've come to a state of acceptance of who each other are, but some don't argue because they've given up.
When Clara first learned that her college crush was getting married, she was heartbroken - because she wished it were the two of them tying the knot. They were friends in college, and this ex soon became Clara's first queer awakening. "[The crush] was strong enough that I had to admit it, or it would eat me alive," Clara, who asked to use a pseudonym for privacy, told HuffPost.
He had an alcohol addiction. He frequently lost his temper and shouted, usually only at me. He lied more and more, often about ridiculous things. I later found out he was committing fraud on a huge scale. When I confronted him, he cheerfully admitted it and said he had deliberately implicated not just me but also our sons, so I would not report him to the police if I ever discovered what he was doing.