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Mystery Man

 
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I have the most perfect boyfriend but my anger is taking a toll on the relationship. My anger mostly stems from my past abusive relationship.I have a geat guy but I struggle so much. I'm scared. Help please.

Tricky, this, mainly down to lack of detail. Still, I'll take a swing at it. If I miss, hey, everyone strikes out once in a while. So buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.

You ain't angry at him, are you. Sure, he does something - or doesn't do something - and that sparks your ire, but it isn't his fault. It is 100% yours.

"Victim blaming MM? We thought better of you!" the collective mutter goes up. In this case, kinda.
I am not blaming the questioner for being abused, and, as always, anyone in an abusive relationship has my utmost respect and admiration for getting the hell out.

You haven't left your abusive relationship yet.

It is still right there in your head at all times, tainting everything it touches.

You got stuck on the anger stage of the five stages of grief (which apply equally well to a dead relationship as a dead person). It is a way of protecting yourself from that crap ever happening to you again. A very seductive and comforting way, that lets you feel in control. Feel a little power in your life.
Beware stranger. Rage can become a habit, like everything else. An instant, automatic and drastic response to anything that even mildly ticks you off. Meaning in this new relationship, you are the abuser.

Yeah, payback's a b*tch.

Enough of the explanations, lets grab the toolbox and get this thing fixed, right?

Firstly, if you have not already, or even if you have, you tell your guy. The whole damned sorry story, start to finish, with nothing left out. Budget an entire evening for that at least, and yes, he is gonna ask questions. Probably a lot of questions, and some of them will pound on your rage buttons like a furious gorilla with a rock.
You will scream and you will cry. Expect that. Think of it as the pain that comes with lancing a boil. Hurts like hell, but you can't heal without it, and it lets him know there is a damned good reason for him frequently being struck by lightning from a clear blue sky. I mean, most guys are pretty laid back, but it has got to be baffling him.

Next is one word. Control. Yeah, the tricky one. It is down to you to control your rage. Not him, not me, not anyone else. When you feel it come bubbling up, close your eyes and count to ten.
Use the hand trick - again close your eyes, make as tight a fist as you can manage. Visuallize all your anger pouring down your arm into your fist. Then open your fist wide and throw that crap away.
Sounds pathetic - but it works rather well, not only for controlling rage but for really scaring cashiers.

Thirdly, no drink, no drugs. OK, it may not apply to you personally, but it will apply to others reading this. The very last thing you need right now are substances that blunt your control and magnify your emotions. Yeah, the temptation is there, but take it from an expert in that particular brand of stupidity. It don't work at all.

Fourthly, look at your boyfriend. Really look at him. Engrave every pore, every hair, the little patch he always misses while shaving - the works - into your mind. That is not the guy that hurt you so badly, is it. Why should he pay?

Finally, take some alone time to talk to yourself and get to know yourself again. You still got a long way to go to the acceptance stage. What happened to you was foul - I ain't gonna minimize that. Yet it happened. You cannot change that. You also can't move on until you accept it.

One final thing, as this is turning from an answer into a freaking novel:

Don't be scared.
It's gonna take a while and it is gonna hurt, yes. Won't lie to you about that.
Once you have handled it though, you know something? People can't remember pain. Sure, you remember something hurt, but not how much.

Good luck.

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5 Comments

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Great answer, MM. I can definitely relate to Kaye.

A lot of my experience with anger in my current relationship stems from fear. It's a way of lashing out and pushing away so that I don't get hurt again. So I understand what Kaye is saying.

I guess I don't have anything particularly constructive to add, other than this: if you are working hard at getting better (being mindful of your actions, seeing a therapist, etc), it WILL get better with time. I'm far from being 100% healed, but I have noticed improvements in the year I've been with my current partner. He has, too.

You might relapse, and you might feel like dying some days. That will happen. Be patient and kind to yourself.

I'll try to apply your advice, too, MM. :) Thanks for posting this one.

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Great response, MM. I was sexually assaulted a week ago, and I think alot of what you said applies to me as well. I appreciate that you said "no drink, no drugs," because that's all I want to do, but it doesn't help the healing process. Love your answers - thanks again.

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I teared up when I read your response...... I had been struggling to have someone give me an answer for the past 3 years. The details of what happened with me are so embarassing and painful that I can never discuss that with anyone but I have given my bf a very rough idea. He's very supportive but I somehow never managed to put the same effort and that's why I asked you.

I feel so helpless and angry for allowing myself to go through it but I want to do better. I will keep your response with me forever and will honestly work on it. Not sure how you started doing this but want you to know that you change people's lives and give them hope and strength - one of the hardest things to do.

Thank You so much MM.

Mystery Man

You are welcome of course. But really - think hard about telling the tale to someone. Your boyfriend, a therapist (as katette suggests) hell, even yourself by writing it all down.
Got to get the poison out before you can heal properly.

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"You haven't left your abusive relationship yet."

That was very helpful to read. I appreciate both the question and the answer. Maybe Kaye would be willing to discuss the full story with a therapist or someone who has probably heard similar stories. There is a saying that whatever we have gone through, all over the world there are many others who've gone through the same thing. Feeling "terminally unique" adds to our suffering.

I got involved with someone a couple of years ago who had such great qualities but I couldn't bear to read the signs that slowly unfolded before my eyes. Eventually I left the relationship in a profound state of fear. Perhaps he was never as dangerous as I'd come to believe--only a very frightened person, but I couldn't risk sticking around to find out and I never want to see him again, ever. I only feel that way about one man I've dated, and I'm in my 40s. It still troubles me deeply. Maybe it would be good to get help with this from a counselor. Recently I've been pursuing friendships with straight men to experience that there are many sane, safe, good-hearted men in the world.

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