Support » How can they continue to deny » June 21, 2017 4:33 pm |
Something is very very odd here. Her response should be when asked as an ethical counselor is that she cannot share who her patients are nor can she share anything she has talked about, even on a general level. It's a privacy law here in the states called HIPAA. She can actually lose her license (if she has one) even mentioning that a patient is a patient of hers. If you had run into the pastor in the waiting room, that is ok. But it is most certainly NOT ok for her to answer your questions or his about anything unless you give consent.
May I suggest another counselor is the best route to go here, to be sure you are working with someone who is truly working in your best interest?
I was a domestic violence and sexual assault counselor for years, and even if someone asked me about someone they saw in the waiting room, my response was always, "I'm sorry but even if I was seeing them I can't confirm or deny because of federal privacy laws."
Ridiculous!
Support » How can they continue to deny » June 20, 2017 4:48 pm |
Bec,
He may never admit it and trying to get him to is a futile, exhausting effort. Keep going. The important thing is you know what you want and I agree with JKPeace, keep going, even if baby steps. Clarity will come in all forms. As for the kids, kids are resilient, and they know more than you think. What message do you want to send your kids? Staying married has nothing to do with loving them. It has everything to do with them feeling loved, from both parents, and not put in the middle. You and your kids deserve happiness, not looking over your shoulder all the time wondering if he's lying. As for guilt, I would say this: stop beating yourself up. Think how awful the kids life will be knowing you are miserable and staying in your marriage for them. All kids need is to feel safe and loved. How old are your kids?
It's not ugly to state what you want and need, though our GID will always deflect guilt and shame on us. It's much easier for them to not face the truth of what they've done. You can keep it as civil as you want, and when it gets to a point where you feel you can't, let your attorney step in. I had to do that, because he kept trying to get me into the dirt, and I wasn't interested. So I offered my attorney a flat fee with clear instructions of what I wanted the outcome to be, and let him do all the work. My work was on healing.
You can do this. Keep posting and we are all here, totally getting it, and cheering for you and your kids.
M
General Discussion » Looking Forward: Slaying The Dragon Within Us » June 20, 2017 4:39 pm |
iamthelorax, I love it! Paging Phoenix, Phoenix add this...
General Discussion » Why do we feel the need to let them "explore" their sexuality??? » June 15, 2017 10:38 pm |
I remember telling my spouse I knew who he was before he had the courage to tell me. He blatantly lied to my face and said I was crazy. I knew I wasn't. So I left. I loved myself more than I loved him, and I did love him. Very much. He was who I chose to spend my life with. He was who I chose to leave when I knew in his heart (and mine) he could never give me what I needed.
I didn't want to throw him a party, or give him a cake, or plaster congratulations on highway billboards. I wanted to hide under the covers and sleep all day. Or I wanted to drive, and keep driving until I couldn't drive anymore. I wanted to run....far away. But I didn't. I put my chin up, wiped my tears, and knew I would make it. He cried and begged me to stay, and build a life, and have kids. It was incredibly painful for both of us. He chose to act in a different way--by lashing out at me, by telling lies about me, by isolating me from his family and our mutual friends. I offered no free passes for the choices he made. I was angry. But I never got down in the dirt, as hard as he made it for me. I continued walking and didn't look back until I was strong enough to face the lies head on and respond to them.
I did not believe and still do not believe that anyone on the boards has hatred for gay people. But there is so much anger and focus on THEM. The ones who broke our hearts. The ones who wronged us. To pity them would be ridiculous. To have empathy and compassion by trying to see where they are coming from? Maybe not so ridiculous. My point was more toward the fact that even though people know deep inside who they are, they want something else because of what surrounds them. Or they do something they think they are supposed to. Or they really do love. They believe it can work. They love the best they know how. And when the reality sets in of who they are and where they have ended up, they either stay in the closet forever, or the
General Discussion » Why do we feel the need to let them "explore" their sexuality??? » June 13, 2017 8:17 pm |
On the flip side, what if people felt that homosexuality wasn't a wrong thing to be? Would they hide? Would they make bad decisions and involve innocent unknowing spouses, partners and kids? I struggled with anger for a really long time. When I volunteered at an LGBT shelter, it became much clearer to me why people DO stay in the closet. It's easier. While I agree that people in our lives have lied, I don't agree with scarlet lettering. Wouldn't it be great if we tried to get along with our exes, and they could tell things from their side, as well as us from ours? Call me a pollyanna if you will but I doubt people wake up to hatch a plan to ruin lives. It's life. There are a lot of issues surrounding homosexuality, which is why people are focusing on it in the media. Yes, sometimes choices are made to hide and mask who they truly are. But why is that? Shame, ridicule, and being told they aren't natural are huge reasons why people try to hide, build a life that they don't really want, and end up massively affecting several lives in the process. When forced to choose, of course they choose themselves. To begin to live authentically and happily, one has to do that (we all are painfully aware of this). This is not unique to homosexuality. We are hateful when they lie, but hateful when they tell the truth. To me, that's a double edged sword. It hurts like hell, but it is necessary for everyone to live openly in order to heal, without pointing fingers about who did what to whom, how terrible people are, and how much hurt they cause(d). Moving forward to clear, dry, land involves letting go of the anger, the lies, the cheating, the manipulation, and having hope and trust that things can be different, instead of focusing on what was. Focus instead on what can be and how you got in such a bad space to begin with (without blaming yourself or your ex-spouse---not an easy thing).
You may now feel free to throw darts at me. I just see things v
General Discussion » My thought for the day » June 8, 2017 5:02 am |
Fantastic!
Support » Still so sad » June 6, 2017 8:12 pm |
River, I'm so sorry to read about your pain. Like you, we didn't have kids. It's a different experience than those who do have kids. Like you, we were great friends, we were the ideal "happy" couple. Like you, he wanted to maintain contact and be friends. I tried, but in the end, having him in my life was too difficult. I had to watch him build his new, happy. life with someone else. Though I never faulted him for that, it made moving on myself so much more difficult.
You WILL move on. You WILL be happy. But, you will miss her some days. You'll miss the days of having a partner and someone who was in it with you. There IS something better.
I moved out July 13, 2001. This year marks year 16. He didn't come out to most of our mutual friends and part of his family until 8 years after I left. And he's still not out to some. But that's no longer baggage for me to carry on my journey.
Focus on what you want, without her as part of the picture. You will get what you want. You deserve so much more.
Feel free to PM me anytime if you need a lifeline during this lonely long walk. You will be ok, I promise.
Keep posting, we all get it and we are all here for you.
Support » New to this and having a hard time. » May 1, 2017 9:17 pm |
Hiker 33, Glad you found our corner of the world. Sorry you're here, but we all get it, and we've been where you are. Many of us are here to show that there is life, happy life, on the other side. You'll be ok.
For most of us, losing our partner whom we thought we could depend on, was the crusher. When you build life on what you thought was truth and it turns upside down into lies, it's devastating. Top that off with questioning reality, and you have the Bermuda triangle, like you are disappearing. It sucks beyond words.
As for sleep, if you are a non-drug guy, sleep machines and melatonin can work wonders, as can just decompressing with the lights off and laying down either in bed or on the ground listening to whatever music soothes you. I particularly enjoyed a piano sequence called Piano Reflections by Kelly Yost. It's lovely and soothing. It may even help you fall asleep.
Hugs going out to you. Hang in there.
Support » She came out last night. » May 1, 2017 9:09 pm |
Hello to the 3 of you.....keep posting. It gets better, I promise. We are all here to support you in whatever state you find yourself in. We get it, when others don't.
Support » My Husband & His Priest Lover » April 23, 2017 10:14 pm |
myhubby&hisgaypriestlover.....
How are you doing?