Society doesn't help. It tells the healthy partner to put on a happy- face mask, to be the ultimate positive thinker. Taken to the extreme, this approach prevents a couple from connecting at a deeper level. In fact, it can form a wedge that drives people apart. It can be uncomfortable or downright scary to take off the mask, but real growth in any relationship occurs when true thoughts and feelings get expressed during tough times.
American society puts extreme value on image.
How you look, what's your job title, who you know. In many ways life becomes a charade and the essence of who you are stays hidden from loved ones and yourself. When something as significant as The Intruder enters your home, it forces your hand. If you choose to keep playing charades, you might have to leave the relationship because the image of health and happiness is shattered. The other route demands the courage to change, to begin to honestly reveal who you really are and what you really think and feel.