Diagnosis + Treatment
The Big Picture
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? [ Video ]
Five Dimensions of Human Personality
Think It's BPD but How Can I Know?
DSM Criteria for Personality Disorders
Treatment of BPD [ Video ]
Getting a Loved One Into Therapy
Top 50 Questions Members Ask
Home page
Forum
List of discussion groups
Making a first post
Find last post
Discussion group guidelines
Tips
Romantic relationship in or near breakup
Child (adult or adolescent) with BPD
Sibling or Parent with BPD
Boyfriend/Girlfriend with BPD
Partner or Spouse with BPD
Surviving a Failed Romantic Relationship
Tools
Wisemind
Ending conflict (3 minute lesson)
Listen with Empathy
Don't Be Invalidating
Setting boundaries
On-line CBT
Book reviews
Member workshops
About
Mission and Purpose
Website Policies
Membership Eligibility
Please Donate
May 28, 2024, 02:24:05 PM
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
5 Hours
1 Day
1 Week
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
Board Admins:
Kells76
,
Once Removed
,
Turkish
Senior Ambassadors:
Cat Familiar
,
EyesUp
,
SinisterComplex
Help!
Boards
Please Donate
Login to Post
New?--Click here to register
Experts share their discoveries
[video]
100
Caretaking - What is it all about?
Margalis Fjelstad, PhD
Blame - why we do it?
Brené Brown, PhD
Family dynamics matter.
Alan Fruzzetti, PhD
A perspective on BPD
Ivan Spielberg, PhD
BPDFamily.com
>
Relationship Partner with BPD (Straight and LGBT+)
>
Romantic Relationship | Bettering a Relationship or Reversing a Breakup
> Topic:
Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family
Pages: [
1
]
Go Down
« previous
next »
Print
Author
Topic: Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family (Read 418 times)
Cipher13
Offline
What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Posts: 838
Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family
«
on:
December 17, 2019, 12:34:11 PM »
I want to make the background as brief as possible to get to the point. 12 or so years ago my wife and I had some disagreements or spats with my parents. I took the side of my wife which for the majority of the topics was legit. When my parents looked to us to make amends and apologize for the majority of the things that were most sever and willing to talk and understand the rest was I thought promising. I accepted their apology as it was genuine. My wife did not. After some discussions she was not willing to have anything to do with them. And as far as can recall she asked me not as well. A few times I tried to test the waters and she was not willing. I still wanted a relationship with my family so I kept in contact but didn't make my wife aware. That was when we were living out of State from them. We have since moved back to where we originally lived which is not to far from my family. I have seen them a few times over the years and again without my wife ever knowing.
Fast forward to now 12 years later I have kept up the clandestine mission until the other day. A family picture with my parents and I from one of our visits a couple years ago shown up on a Facebook. I had to explain everything to my wife. Neddless to say she was beyond pissed.
I'm looking for some help with repair this relationship with my wife. Also and maybe more so I wrestle with this: There is the real possibility that there will be a final ultimatum of me having to choose my marriage or may family. I do not have kids so there is that one less thing to worry about. However if I can't find a way to make things better and fro my wife to ultimately come to terms to be ok with contacting my family I may be forced to make a decision that seems impossible. How can anyone choose? Any insight into this would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Logged
PLEASE - NO RUN MESSAGES
This is a high level discussion board for solving ongoing, day-to-day relationship conflicts. Members may appear frustrated but they are here for constructive solutions to problems. This is not a place for relationship "stay" or "leave" discussions. Please read the specific guidelines for this group.
Wrongturn1
Offline
Gender:
What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Romantic Partner
Posts: 591
Re: Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family
«
Reply #1 on:
December 20, 2019, 09:31:15 AM »
Hi Cipher - You have a right to have a relationship with your family, and your situation would be healthier if you didn't hide it from your wife. How about this as a possible solution: you apologize to your wife for clandestinely visiting your family (your wife will be mad about this until the end of time because she has BPD; she will use this as justification for why she can never trust you again; she will bring it up frequently when she is upset); however, you tell her you have spent a lot of time thinking about this and you have decided that you will resume normal relationships and normal levels of contact with your family members - she is welcome to join you but this is not required. Then you do what you said you would do.
If your level of contact with your family members is a deal-breaker for your wife, then she is free to leave your marriage and get out of your life. Also, don't accept abuse from her about your secret meetings with your family. That was completely unreasonable of her to force you to meet your family secretly. If she explained the situation to any neutral third party, the third party would take your side and say your wife was being unreasonable.
Logged
Harri
Retired Staff
Offline
Gender:
What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Parent
Posts: 5981
Re: Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family
«
Reply #2 on:
December 22, 2019, 11:21:23 PM »
Hi Cipher.
I agree that you have a right to have a relationship with your own family. I am not sure how to repair this other than to apologize for lying and being direct and honest that you are going to maintain a relationship with them. As wrongturn said, she is welcome to join you when you visit but she is also free not to.
Yes, she will be upset... but she already is. What have you discussed with her since she found out?
Logged
"What is to give light must endure burning." ~Viktor Frankl
Turkish
BOARD ADMINISTRATOR
Offline
Gender:
What is your sexual orientation: Straight
Who in your life has "personality" issues: Other
Relationship status: "Divorced"/abandoned by SO in Feb 2014; Mother with BPD, PTSD, Depression and Anxiety: RIP in 2021.
Posts: 12161
Dad to my wolf pack
Re: Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family
«
Reply #3 on:
December 22, 2019, 11:59:17 PM »
What was most severe and were those things "legit" to you aside from how your wife viewed them?
Logged
“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.” ― Rudyard Kipling
Can You Help Us Stay on the Air in 2024?
Pages: [
1
]
Go Up
Print
BPDFamily.com
>
Relationship Partner with BPD (Straight and LGBT+)
>
Romantic Relationship | Bettering a Relationship or Reversing a Breakup
> Topic:
Hide from my wife that I had been in contacr with my family
« previous
next »
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
-----------------------------
Help Desk
-----------------------------
===> Open board
-----------------------------
Relationship Partner with BPD (Straight and LGBT+)
-----------------------------
=> Romantic Relationship | Bettering a Relationship or Reversing a Breakup
=> Romantic Relationship | Conflicted About Continuing, Divorcing/Custody, Co-parenting
=> Romantic Relationship | Detaching and Learning after a Failed Relationship
-----------------------------
Children, Parents, or Relatives with BPD
-----------------------------
=> Son, Daughter or Son/Daughter In-law with BPD
=> Parent, Sibling, or In-law Suffering from BPD
-----------------------------
Community Built Knowledge Base
-----------------------------
=> Library: Psychology questions and answers
=> Library: Tools and skills workshops
=> Library: Book Club, previews and discussions
=> Library: Video, audio, and pdfs
=> Library: Content to critique for possible feature articles
=> Library: BPDFamily research surveys
Our 2023 Financial Sponsors
We are all appreciative of the members who provide the funding to keep BPDFamily on the air.
12years
alterK
AskingWhy
At Bay
Cat Familiar
CoherentMoose
drained1996
EZEarache
Flora and Fauna
ForeverDad
Gemsforeyes
Goldcrest
Harri
healthfreedom4s
hope2727
khibomsis
Lemon Squeezy
Memorial Donation (4)
Methos
Methuen
Mommydoc
Mutt
P.F.Change
Penumbra66
Red22
Rev
SamwizeGamgee
Skip
Swimmy55
Tartan Pants
Turkish
whirlpoollife
Loading...