Free1,

Negative statements are very power triggers for me, so I hear ya.

I'm not sure exactly how your therapy sessions are positioned in your overall daily schedule. Would it help you to have some down time to your self immediately following a session? Maybe instead of going straight home, heading to...Starbucks, Borders, the parks, some where other home. This way you can experience the session overflow and then calm yourself before heading back home. Also since I tend to be a control freak, I sometimes try to anticipate his negative comments and create standard positive responses. These are more intended to empower me.

Also, whether it is a good choice or not, I do not tell my husband when my appointments are unless there is a child care issue, it impacts his schedule, or he asks me about them. Its not that I am deliberately hiding it from him because he know I go. It's just that I've finally decided that my therapy is about me and if he is not going to be positive, then I don't hear his comments. When I first started I would often hear comments like, "So what did you talk about today?" or "Oh, I better be good today, or you'll tell your quack about me." I just prefer not to play 20-questions or deal with his snide comments. I AM NOT suggesting this approach, I'm just saying that it works for me.

Finally, until recently I did not have a close friend I could talk to and there are many issues that I will not discuss with her. It has only been since I started therapy, that I had the guts to attempt a closer connection with people. My message here is have hope. Don't assume that you will never make a close friendship. They are possible, maybe with therapy you can learn to communicate better and get some insight on how to find, establish, and nurture these friendships. This has been a totally new experience for me.