My husband and I spend a lot of time in different parts of the house and have almost no shared interests. He lets me do anything I want, buy anything I want, and is very generous in many ways. Well, it just seems as tho there should be more to life than this. Give me some ideas or answers if you have any. Gayle Peterson Gayle Peterson, MSSW, PhD is a family therapist specializing in prenatal and family development.
Successful negotiation is a vital part of a healthy intimate relationship.
Your husband is avoiding negotiating with you. But you and your husband created this pattern of avoidance together over the years. It is probable that neither one of you had experience which caused you to believe that a couple could successfully resolve conflict without destruction. So you may have colluded to side-step tense interactions which set up a pattern of separate living. What you thought was in the best interests of the marriage in keeping it safe from conflict has actually contributed to loneliness and dissatisfaction.