Hello, question asker! I'm Jiang 61.
Thank you for recommending the platform and for trusting us to work together to answer your questions and help you make a choice. You ask, "We got married and got a marriage license, but now we're facing a divorce crisis. The answer is simple: we should get a divorce."
I empathize with your situation and understand the challenges you're facing. Let me reassure you first, and then I will provide guidance on whether to pursue a divorce or not. Listen to your heart.
1. A conflictual relationship
1⃣️, Sexual life
After May, there was no sex life, just once a month, and it was of poor quality. You were sexually cold to each other and resisted intimate contact. Talking with him about your sexual relationship and arguing about it were ineffective.
I need to know what your sex life was like before May. Did something happen between you after May?
When did you get married?
2. Wedding date
From your introduction, it is clear that your boyfriend's parents are difficult, strong-willed people who do not respect others. They are deliberately delaying the wedding date and refusing to engage in any discussion with you.
Your parents have made many compromises and put up with a lot in order to make your life easier in the future. In the end, they reached their limit and had a fight over the finalization of the wedding date.
3⃣️, Arguments
You and your boyfriend argue a lot because you think he is at fault. He admits that he is at fault but refuses to change. You describe his actions as "worse than ever," which leaves you speechless.
4⃣️, Mama's boy
Your boyfriend is a mama's boy with double standards. He expects you to be what he wants, but refuses to be what you want.
5⃣️, erratic
My boyfriend is inconsistent and often mentions divorce, but then backs down and says he doesn't want to. He says he'll pick you up, but then doesn't.
He is also unreliable. He often leaves you hanging.
In front of your parents, he spoke incoherently and demanded that you accompany him to the psychologist before he would let you decide whether to divorce or not.
2. The problem
1⃣️, the influence of personality and attachment types
Your boyfriend is indecisive, not good at expressing himself, stubborn, not easily repentant, and somewhat indifferent. He has a calm personality, which is characterized by being slow and deliberate, cautious, gentle and stable, and seeking harmony.
? Personality
From your description, it is clear that your boyfriend is indecisive, not good at expressing himself, stubborn, not easily repentant, and somewhat indifferent. He undoubtedly has a calm personality.
A calm personality is characterized by:
These individuals are slow and deliberate, cautious, gentle, and stable, and they seek harmony.
He's easy to get along with, comfortable with life, a critical thinker, and tolerant.
He is slow and lazy, not easily repentant, not fond of expressing himself, and indifferent to others.
Your attachment type is:
From your description, it is clear that your boyfriends have an avoidant attachment style. People with this style tend to have the following characteristics:
Avoidant attachment types are often fearful of intimacy and distrustful of others. They tend to withdraw before a relationship has a chance to turn in a positive direction, are suspicious and cold in love, and believe that others are unreliable or too eager to commit.
They fundamentally avoid and reject intimacy. Your relationship with your boyfriend is a clear example of this. After receiving the marriage certificate, he felt alienated from intimacy, as if he were avoiding it. He began to avoid deepening the relationship.
You
You are impatient, sometimes aggressive, and expect your boyfriend to obey you, care for you, love you, be action-oriented, and have a short temper. You are a radical personality.
A radical personality has:
These individuals are strong-willed, action-oriented, energetic, and achievement-oriented.
Advantages: courageous and decisive, persevering, not afraid of difficulties, highly self-disciplined.
Disadvantages: short-tempered, lack of empathy, stubborn, arrogant.
Type of attachment
You are angry at his indifference and lose your temper, complaining about it. You expect him to love you, but he never gives you the love you want. When you nag too much, he proposes divorce. You have an anxious attachment.
Anxious attachment people invest all their feelings in a relationship, but often find that the other person does not want the relationship to develop as closely as they would like. This lack of intimacy can make you feel insecure, and sometimes you worry that your partner does not value you as much as you value them.
Anxious attachment people are always on their guard in intimate relationships. They constantly ponder every move of the other person and fear unstable relationships.
Your relationship is defined by a pattern of anxious pursuit and avoidance. This dynamic makes both of you uncomfortable, and your boyfriend's avoidant tendencies drive him to avoid the relationship. This is the current state of your relationship.
Your attachment patterns determine this.
2. The influence of the original family
His parents-in-law are inconsiderate, stubborn, strong-willed, and arbitrary people. They keep changing their minds about the wedding date. Your boyfriend has developed a superficially pleasing coping style because he knows it doesn't matter what he says. He has to do what his parents want.
He will also sometimes follow his parents' coping model, hoping to be in control and show masculinity. In your presence, he will display an accusatory coping model.
The accommodating coping style is a clear sign of low self-worth.
People who are pleasing to others ignore themselves and have a low sense of inner value. They often reveal this in their words, saying things like "It's all my fault" or "I want to make you happy."
They behave in an overly kind manner and are used to apologizing and begging.
The blame-based coping model is flawed.
People who are accusatory tend to ignore others, are used to attacking and criticizing, and blame others for everything. They often say things like, "It's all your fault" and "What's wrong with you?" in their speech.
Those who blame others are constantly annoyed and blame other people or the environment to protect themselves. Blaming others shows contempt and is about considering one's own situation and feelings, not caring about others.
The fact is, both coping styles exist. It depends on the situation which way he will choose to present himself.
You tend to cope with stress by looking at your partner unfavorably, accusing them, and hoping they'll accept your views and obey you.
3⃣️, the running-in period
This is the situation that most newlyweds encounter. It's inevitable that there will be conflicts since the people from the two families have different personalities, living habits, preferences, and cultural backgrounds.
Change others.
Character and the living conditions of their original family are two reasons for the constant conflicts in your lives. The other reason is the one mentioned earlier: you both want to reform the other person into the way you want them to be.
In a speech on communication, Taiwanese famous speaker Professor Huang Zhizhong stated, "No one wants to be changed because that means I'm wrong. And no one wants to admit that I'm wrong."
This will lead to endless arguments.
You're not adapting to each other.
Disagreements and conflicts are inevitable. You must learn to accommodate each other, integrate, and finally achieve harmony. This is the state of your new family.
This is the fear of marriage state.
Your boyfriend's avoidance of marital life is directly related to his life in his original family. When they were young, they were often regarded as "understanding children" because they didn't need to establish a relationship with their mothers. However, it wasn't that they didn't need to, it was just that they couldn't do it.
The mother is busy working or there are other circumstances, or there are many family members, and in short, the child cannot be taken care of. This child always plays alone, and over time, what began as discomfort and dislike will develop into a habit.
The mother is busy working or there are other circumstances, or there are many family members. It is simply not possible to take care of the child. This child always plays alone, and over time, it will develop from initial discomfort and dislike to a habit.
You are also worried about this state recurring in your life with your partner, which makes you feel less intimate. This is also a state of fear of marriage.
3. How to Deal with It
1. Transform the attachment relationship.
You can change yourself more easily than you can demand changes from others. If you want to achieve harmony in a relationship, you must first change your attachment style. Let yourself go from an anxious attachment style to a secure attachment style.
You must have a secure attachment.
A secure attachment means you're emotionally approachable. You feel at ease depending on others and being depended on.
They are not worried about being alone or not being accepted. This type of person is open to love and is confident in their ability to devote themselves wholeheartedly to a relationship and enjoy it. They can also leave a relationship calmly when necessary.
Building trust is key.
People with secure attachments know they are worthy of love and trust. They believe in relationships that feel and give care, and give others the experience of intimacy, emotional support, and understanding. They are not afraid of being abandoned or of being close to others because they easily establish stable and trusting relationships.
They attract all kinds of people around them. They trust others and know that their actions are harmless.
You have to believe in yourself and trust others if you want to truly change.
Build self-confidence and a sense of security.
You must re-establish a secure attachment relationship. You need to believe that you are safe and that he is trustworthy. You need to consciously perceive and change yourself in this way. You must trust yourself and your attachment relationship will move towards a secure direction.
2. Change your communication response model.
Satir identifies five distinct ways people deal with stress: blaming, pleasing, over-rationalizing, crossing out, and consistent coping.
Consistency is the goal. Satir's model is based on a high sense of self-worth and achieves harmonious interaction between the self, others, and the situation.
People who adopt this model demonstrate an inner awareness in their speech, consistency between expression and speech, inner harmony and balance, and a relatively high sense of self-worth.
When you care about your boyfriend's communication, you don't try to win him over, control him, or ignore others. You simply respond to problems from a perspective that considers both yourself and others while being fully aware of the current situation.
Your words and emotions must convey the same message to achieve consistent communication. Communication is not about accusations, appeasement, cross-examinations, or being overly rational. Only in this way can both sides achieve consistency.
3⃣️, Get through the teething period smoothly.
Accept him.
And living habits.
Accept your boyfriend's habits. Improving intimacy starts with respecting other people's habits. Accept your boyfriend, and you'll stop complaining about him and start enjoying your relationship.
You will feel happy and relaxed.
His behavior is unacceptable.
Accepting your boyfriend's way of doing things doesn't mean you think what he's doing is right or wrong. It just means you accept that he's doing it. When you accept him, you don't just focus on the behavior and ignore the motives. You treat his actions correctly, understand the motives behind the actions, and lay a further foundation for deepening your mutual understanding.
Expressions of love
If your boyfriend shows a lack of love for you, it's likely because he's not used to this kind of approach. Take the initiative to show your love, and he'll interact with you.
Everyone understands love differently, and the way they express and receive love is different for everyone. Dr. Gary Chapman categorizes the way people express and receive love into five "languages of love": "affirming words," "quality time," "exchanging gifts," "acts of service," and "physical touch."
Affirming words are essential.
Everyone needs praise and affirmation, whether friends, colleagues, lovers, or spouses. Give them more positive feedback to deepen their feelings for each other.
Moments of care
Precious moments are those wonderful moments and memories shared by both parties. These can be anything from a candlelit dinner to doing something meaningful together.
Accept gifts.
Exchanging gifts on important holidays is a ritual that strengthens relationships. The ritual itself, as well as the gift, will bind you and your partner together.
Service actions
Do what the other person wants you to do and make them happy. It's as simple as that.
Make physical contact.
Holding hands, hugging, and other forms of physical contact can and will increase the affection between you. It is a manifestation of love and a silent language of love.
Master the five languages of love and watch the intimacy between you grow. Your boyfriend will get to know your way of interacting and express the love he's been holding back. You'll get the relationship you want.
Questioner, give yourself and him time to adjust. Take care of him with love. I believe you will see changes in your relationship.
I wish you well!
Comments
This is such a difficult and sensitive situation to be in. I can feel how hurt and frustrated you must be feeling. It's important to address both the intimacy issues and the family dynamics. Have you considered seeking professional counseling together? Sometimes an outside perspective can really help open up lines of communication.
It sounds like you're going through an incredibly tough time, and I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. The lack of physical connection and the way his family is behaving are adding a lot of stress. Maybe it would help to talk to someone neutral, like a therapist, who can offer guidance on how to approach these complex problems. Also, setting boundaries with his family might be necessary for your wellbeing.
I can only imagine how challenging this must be for you. It seems that there are multiple layers to this issue, from personal intimacy to familial expectations. It might be beneficial to have a hearttoheart conversation with him about what you need from the relationship and how you feel about his family's behavior. Open and honest dialogue could lead to some understanding and potentially a solution.
It's heartbreaking to hear about your struggles. The combination of emotional and physical distance from your partner and the pressure from his family must be overwhelming. Perhaps finding a mediator to help navigate the wedding planning with his family could ease some of the tension. Additionally, focusing on rebuilding your intimate connection through therapy or couple's retreats might be worth exploring.
Your situation sounds incredibly complex and painful. The disconnect in your relationship and the disrespect from his family are significant issues that need addressing. It might be time to prioritize what you want and need in this relationship. If possible, having a serious discussion about the future and what steps you both can take to improve things, including possibly involving a counselor, could be crucial. Also, standing firm on your family's needs during the wedding planning process is important for maintaining respect and balance.