Every once in a while a book and movie catches our culture’s attention in such a way that social and traditional media bombards us with it. Such is the situation with the book and now movie release of the popular “Fifty Shades of Grey”.
Working with struggling couples for years, we know that sometimes the relationship problem is a surprise. Other times we know exactly what we did to cause the problem.
We have observed 4 patterns of reaction to relationship problems spouses engage in that actually hurt more than they help. They seem “good” because they keep us from feeling or dealing with the issue. That temporary relief fades quickly when the issue reoccurs. They always end up getting in the way of our goal of a lifelong relationship.