Category

Conflict

Nov 01
Love0
Symbis-Blog-900x200-meme-What-to-Do-When-You-and-Your-Spouse-Disagree-on-Politics-and-Social-Issues

What to Do When You and Your Spouse Disagree on Politics and Social Issues

By Conflict No Comments

Do you and your spouse disagree on politics, social issues, or other deeply-held beliefs? As individuals, we’re deeply impacted by how we see the world around us. Maybe we’re passionate about certain issues or causes, and we don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye with our spouse. Sometimes, these beliefs and opinions could be totally at odds. We’ve all experienced and observed heated conversations and disagreements about political and social issues. These exchanges can leave us feeling upset and depleted. If you’ve found yourself in that position with your spouse, it can be incredibly uncomfortable. The question is, can spouses with different political…

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May 31
Love0

What to Do When Your Spouse’s Ex Dislikes You

By Conflict, In-laws & Family One Comment

Let’s say your new spouse has been married before–and their ex dislikes you. All you want is a peaceful existence with your new family, but their ex does whatever they can to make your life more difficult. How do you handle that situation? When one or both spouses are married for the second time, it’s not unusual for an ex to be in the picture. That’s especially true if you’re co-parenting children. If your spouse has children with their ex, then naturally, you’ll have to interact with the ex on some level. However, sometimes, an ex-spouse can make your life…

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May 03
Love0
I Want Another Child, But My Spouse Doesn't. What Do We Do?

I Want Another Child, But My Spouse Doesn’t. What Do We Do?

By Conflict, Marriage 3 Comments

Let’s say you and your spouse have children or stepchildren together already, but you can’t agree on whether (or when) to have another. You desperately want another baby, but your spouse says they don’t. What do you do about it? A disagreement like this could easily create resentment between the two of you over time. So, it’s crucial to go ahead and get the conversation out in the open. Getting on the same page is incredibly important, especially for such a sensitive topic. If you’re feeling a major disconnect with your spouse over the desire for more children, there’s hope….

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Apr 26
Love0

How to Confront a Dishonest Spouse

By Conflict 3 Comments

Have you ever caught your spouse in a lie? If you did, would you know how to confront them? If you’ve ever experienced this gut-wrenching scenario, you know how devastating it feels. Accepting that your spouse has been dishonest is one of the hardest things to do. Deciding how and when to confront them is equally daunting, because now your entire perception of your spouse is in question. What else have they lied about? How long have they been lying? Is this about just one issue, and if so, can we rebuild from here? If your spouse has lied to…

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Apr 05
Love0
Is It Possible For Married Couples to Fight Well?

Is It Possible For Married Couples to Fight Well?

By Conflict 3 Comments

It’s no secret that married couples fight. Regardless of how long you and your spouse have been together, you will disagree with one another from time to time. But did you know that it’s possible for couples to fight a “good fight?” Couples often come to us to ask how to have a good fight. It seems counterproductive, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t couples aim to avoid fighting instead? Not necessarily. The truth is, working through conflict can actually make your relationship stronger. 4 Essential Components of a Healthy Fight There are several essential ingredients that couples must have to navigate disagreements…

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Mar 08
Love0
My Spouse Makes Me Feel Awful About Myself. How Should I Respond?

My Spouse Makes Me Feel Awful About Myself. How Should I Respond?

By Conflict, Marriage 3 Comments

Does your spouse make you feel bad about yourself from time to time? Feeling hurt by something your spouse has said or done is heartbreaking. You’ve tried your best to keep them happy, but they still seem to find something critical to say. Your self-esteem might have taken a blow, or you might be feeling hopeless about your situation. It’s possible for the most well-meaning spouses to hurt one another’s feelings on occasion. That’s bound to happen over the course of a long life together. But what happens when your spouse’s criticism makes you feel badly about yourself? Humans Need…

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Feb 01
Love0

I’m Married to a Control Freak. What Do I Do?

By Conflict, Marriage 4 Comments

Is your spouse a control freak? Being in a relationship with a controlling person–especially a marriage–can be quite a challenge. No one knows that better than you do. Before we jump in, the first thing you need to know is that there’s hope, and it’s possible for your spouse to get a handle on their controlling tendencies. First, you need a little more insight into what factors might be driving their controlling nature. You’ll also need some tools for communicating with them. And of course, they’ll need to keep an open heart. I (Les) admit that I’m a recovering control…

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Nov 30
Love0
My Spouse Cheated - And My In-Laws Knew. What Now?

My Spouse Cheated – And My In-Laws Knew. What Now?

By Conflict, In-laws & Family 3 Comments

Facing the pain of infidelity is one of the hardest things you may ever experience. You’re trying to come to terms with the fact that your spouse was hiding a major secret. That’s bad enough; but what if your in-laws knew about the affair? Unfortunately, many times people may know or suspect that a friend or family member is having an affair. Yet, they may not tell the innocent spouse. There are many reasons for this; maybe they don’t want to get involved, or maybe they’re afraid they’ve made a mistake. But when your family members know–especially your in-laws–that makes…

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Nov 23
Love0

Unfinished Business: Getting Closure for Old Hurts

By Conflict 2 Comments

Having unresolved conflict in your relationships–especially in your marriage–creates tension that weighs on both you and your spouse. It distracts you and eventually creates resentment, further breaking down your relationship. We like to think of this kind of conflict as unfinished business. Unfinished business involves issues you and your spouse have never been able to fully work through. If one of you is holding onto old hurts, it’s likely you’ve never felt like those have had a chance to heal. This can happen for many reasons, and the longer hard feelings simmer, the more difficult they will be to resolve….

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Nov 09
Love0

I Resent My Spouse. How Do I Overcome It?

By Conflict 3 Comments

Resentment damages marriages. It can take time for resentment to build in a relationship. Often, you don’t know it’s happening until it has already taken root. By then, those resentful feelings have invaded many areas of your marriage. Resentment comes from longstanding anger and feelings of disappointment in aspects of your relationship. When you feel upset at your spouse on a regular basis but feel that you can’t do anything to alleviate the problem, you begin to internalize that anger. Eventually, it morphs into resentment. Later, it could transform into contempt toward your partner. There are many reasons why you…

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