Thank you ALL. Sometimes it's so nice to hear from those that get it, you know?

My husband is an addict. He's been clean & sober over a decade, but it's in his personality. He has extreme difficulty expressing what he perceives as "negative" feelings--anger, frustration, sadness, resentment, etc. So, he bottles them up until they explode. It's something we've been working on for awhile. So, while I've been leaning on him in the role of caretaker, and feeling very blessed by it, he's been building resentments. He also doesn't like dealing with "negative" feeling from others, so...well, that goes nowhere.

And I am normally a volatile personality, both up & down, happy & angry. The PCS has made me a bit more unpredictable & emotional. I am also the one that normally keeps thing running smoothly in the family, defusing potential problems, evening out bruised feelings, etc. Yes, I am a recovering enabler.

But just because I KNOW it, doesn't mean I can deal with it. And I do--and will--talk about it in therapy. He's not always real open to doing so, though, so we'll see. The real issue is that after he says something like that, he says he didn't "really" mean it & I should move on. Often, he plays victim because I should know what he "really meant." He feels wronged because people are trying to tell him "how to feel."

Gah! I'm tired, I'm stressed, & I want my mommy. Of course, I'm a 43-year-old adult with a husband & kids. I AM the mommy! Anyone feel like running away to a tropical island for a little quiet beach time with me?

Thanks again, all. You've helped more than you could possibly know (or any of us will remember, anyway ).