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Well, I guess it's over now. I came home from work, and my wife had hung a sign on the porch that said "Welcome Law School Graduate." This was exactly 1 week after my graduation. There were lights hung on the porch. My son came out of the house dressed up. My wife followed. She told me...

Um...thanks. It was my wife, not my mother.

Yeah, she knows how I feel. And I understand her point of view: spending an hour with me to acknowledge my graduation just wasn't as important as digging weeds out of the garden, and it was too much effort for her to plan around the time and date of my graduation. Also, she's jealous that I...

I just need a safe place to vent this. This weekend, I graduated from law school with a juris doctor degree. This is a goal I have worked toward for well over a decade since I wasn't able to attend following undergrad. I worked pretty damned hard. Like others, our law school's graduation...

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I just don't even know what to think. Today, my spouse emailed me during the day to apologize and said we would have dinner as a family. She even attached a prayer she wrote and said we would have candles. Again, like an idiot, I looked forward to this. Yet...

Sure, I understand. I just thought it was interesting that everyone assumed I was talking about a man. I am the one who was diagnosed with PTSD. My spouse is in perfect health.

It's interesting that everyone thinks I'm speaking about a man when I never said that. Anyway, it's not exactly the fact that I was left out of these celebrations that hurts. It's more that I was intentionally led to believe something nice would be done, and then nothing was done. Even a...

What would you do if: 1. You didn't do anything for your spouse on Christmas, 2. You didn't do anything for your spouse on Valentine's Day, 3. And then you didn't do anything for them on your anniversary, 4. And then when it was their birthday, you told them you would make them a special dinner...

Honestly, I can only think of unhealthy responses to this. Blowing my temper, smoking weed, eating a shit-ton of food, sleeping, blasting music in a dark room, beating the crap out of myself or someone else, and blowing off all responsibilities sounds like a fantastic way to get through this...

Hi all. I need a little help managing some returning symptoms. I have been doing mostly ok for several months, but now I've had some symptoms that seem to have returned out of nowhere, and I'm not sure what to do. This weekend, I could feel my anger returning, just simmering & seething for no...

I want this out of my head. Growing up, my mother used to brag about how she would make a "good murderer." She would talk about how easy it would be for her to murder someone, how easy it would be to go somewhere and shoot people. She used to tell me that when the news cameras come to...

I understand, but I don't feel that redirection is appropriate for any age group. It's off topic, but in case you're curious, here are some reasons redirection might not be a good thing: http://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/06/5-reasons-toddlers-dont-need-redirection-and-what-to-do-instead/...

Thanks for all of your suggestions. My son does understand and have language to discuss feelings and how they affect our behavior. He is also pretty sensitive, so when others are upset, he likes to comfort them. When others are sick, he wants to know if they need a kleenex. I'm not at all a...

I have a 3-year-old son, and I am not sure what to tell him about mental illness. My mother suffers from bipolar issues, depression, and delusional thinking. Recently, her symptoms have become so bad that I have had to distance myself from her for my own health, safety, and continued healing...

Thanks to both of you. My mother has been texting me each morning with a barrage of ugly shit. What a way to start each day! I'm trying to relax, but my heart is pounding & my stomach is twisted into knots. I also have this double-think thing happening in that I simultaneously worry that...

I have recently decided to try to set some healthy boundaries with my mother concerning the types of behavior and language I will tolerate. I have tried to explain these boundaries clearly and in a loving way to her. (my letter to her is here) She, as I expected, is not respecting these...

Thank you for all of your replies. I was just going to let this sit, but you all gave me the courage to speak up. I sent her a quick little email (I know, it was cowardly compared to a phone call) saying something seemed to be wrong with the check and asking if there was a better time for me...

This doesn't really have much to do with mental health, but I need some advice on how to handle a bounced paycheck. Recently, I took a 2nd job doing some paralegal work for an attorney who is also a state senator. It's an under-the-table job, and the hours vary. She paid me, I took the...

My mother received the letter. She responded by saying that I am a mean person who only thinks of myself. She said some nasty things about my wife's mother, and called herself a good grandmother. This is exactly what I expected from her, although I am still somehow stunned.

I've finally gotten the courage to demand healthy interactions from my mother, who suffers from extreme mental illnesses and was abusive to me as a child. My whole life, I have felt guilty and responsible for her happiness. I have downplayed the abuse she doled out while I was growing up...

I am 100% entirely sure that my wife did not receive any sort of advance notice or sign for permission.

Thanks all. I intend to speak to the teacher, who is also the preschool owner. There are other adults on the trip, but I still was given no advance notice of this. This is not a small daycare; it is an established local Montessori school and the owner/head teacher is a Ph.D. who instructs the...

Also, this is the email I want to send to his teacher: Hi [teacher], [Wife} told me that you called her today to tell her that you are taking the children to the fair. I am a little upset about this as I believe that parents need to know about such filed trips before they happen, and I...

I have a son who is almost 3 who just recently started preschool. I was hesitant to enroll him in preschool because I have a very hard time trusting others with the safety of my child. Child abuse goes back in my family as far as can be seen, and I also work in a law firm where I have handled...

In my experience, parents are mostly receptive to other parents helping their child. Of course, there are some very awful parents out there who do not care about their child's well-being and may fight well-intentioned help. And then there are some awful parents out there who might think they...