Thanks, newtus and Willow. You've pretty much confirmed what I suspect. I think he has had trouble with expressing strong negative feelings. He represses them. They go underground and turn ugly. I'll try to get him to express them effectively. Or at least bring them up into awareness, so they don't sit in the dark and fester.

I do think having a sympathetic person who listens is really important. Especially when you're getting a bit disorganized, it seems to help to have someone who takes the time to understand you and communicate with you.

Thanks, for the link, Shoe. It's a good idea. He does go on dating sites, so he's working on that area. I'll have a look at the site you suggested.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.