I'm Not Sure Who Needs Therapy - Me Or Them?
Question: I'm sure my wife and kids don't mean to drive me crazy but at times they do. I get uptight and start yelling and picking a fight when really what I want is to just have some peace and quiet. I would like to pack them all off to someplace else during the school holidays, just a week or two so I could have the place to myself. This will never happen. I'm not sure who needs therapy - me or them?
Answer: You don't say how your wife and children are driving you crazy. Are they really doing anything abnormal or outrageous? Why does your ability to relax involve getting rid of them? You sound as though you feel them to be little more than nuisances that disturb your tranquility. Has this always been the case or is there something that is stressing you more than usual at the moment? Perhaps you should ponder these questions for a while and then maybe talk over the possibilities with someone.
Answer provided by David White, Psychotherapist