CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?
Ladies Home Journal On-Line
"HE HIT ME"
Meet Nina, twenty-eight, a kindergarten teacher, who is so afraid of her husband John's out-of-control anger that she's gotten a judge to issue a restraining order to protect her and their two-year-old daughter.
NINA'S TURN, Part One:
"Last week, I had my husband arrested. What choice did I have? He grabbed the back of my sweater as I was walking upstairs, dragged me down three steps and smashed my face into the wall. Thank God my daughter was at my mother's house and didn't see any of this--though she's certainly been living in a household filled with rage for a long time now. Kelly hears us screaming at each other, and she'll run over from wherever she is crying and push us apart.
That night, I ran across to my neighbor's house and called the police. I was sobbing hysterically and the side of my face was all swollen. When the police came, they handcuffed John and he spent the night in jail.
The judge issued an order of protection, but it didn't really mean very much. All it said was that he was not to antagonize or intimidate me. A lot of good that was going to do! They did demand that John attend a six-week class for men that teaches them to control their anger. But where does that leave us? We have so many problems, and I doubt this class will have much impact."
DR. PAUL MOSCHETTA:
"Anger has taken control of this marriage. We all deal with anger in our lives--subtle or violent. In fact, there are many faces to our anger: We may be frustrated, irritable, annoyed, aggravated or anxious. Or, we may actually use physical force--such as the flying fists that John is using--to express our rage. Either way, a marriage punctuated by such hostility is clearly in trouble."
Nina's Turn, Part Two
Nina's Turn, Part Three
John's Turn, Part One
John's Turn, Part Two
Dr. Moschetta's Comments
