Hello all. I think I have made some breakthrough here, but I won't hold my breath. Yesterday after a heated exchange of words, I told my partner that we need to look at the language we use towards each other. We need to listen to one another. I said that I believed we could both do something to change this dynamic. After she said, "Like what"?, I mentioned we could read a book together. I suggested The High-Conflict Couple. She said she wasn't interested in my bogus self help books. I said ok, I just thought it might help us both. An hour later she asked me what the book was about. I told her I had only read extracts of it but would find some reviews. I read her some extracts and reviews. She tried to palm it off at first so I did not persist. A few hours later she said she had ordered the book online and would go through it with me. I was most surprised.
Today I emailed my counsellor and am waiting back on appointment times. She has agreed to fortnightly sessions for both of us with him. I am proceeding with cautious optimism. My partner is viewing a rental property near here tomorrow and is likely going to move out. She knows I am saddened by this, but I am thinking this might be a necessary break from the family conflict here. Today she is very anxious and not easy to get along with. I am being treated with indifference again, which in this relationship is actually pretty good!
I am hopeful this new progress is the 'fire prevention' I have thus far not managed to implement. I will write more as this evolves. Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone else trying to make things work.
