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Q: I am 43 years old and have been married to a loving, thoughtful man for 16 years and we have a 14 year old son.

Unfotunately,a recent argument has spurred my husband to suddenly decide to take an overseas civilian contractor job in Iraq for 6 months! The original source of the argument was petty (I moved a drinking glass) but he says that he's short tempered because he's been under a lot of stress lately over the deep financial debt we're in. (We have an astronomical mortgage payment and three vehicle payements which take up practically our entire paychecks.) He says this job will pay $8000 a month and we can have all the cars paid off in 6 months and will be able to live a little more comfortably.

To make a long story short, I'm so angry and scared over this that it's making me physically ill. We've had several fights over this and I'm at the point now where I can barely stay under the same roof with him. He says I'm not being supportive while I think he should have looked into local job options or let me take a night job. Most of all, I think he should have given this more thought. (My husband has a long history of doing impulsive things only to regret them later - which is why we have the three car payments and the huge mortgage!) Instead, he let his friends talk him into this and only three weeks after the initial incident which started all this, he's all processed and is set to fly out on April 29th. So much for giving this some thought!!!

I've got no one to talk to about this and have been pretty much keeping to myself over the past couple of weeks. I just don't know how to cope with this. He slapped me with this so suddenly and expects me to be cool with it.

Am I being unreasonable? I'm so confused and so full of resentment that I can't think straight. One minute I'm crying and the next minute my blood is boiling in rage.

Any advice would be appreciated. I know that you military wives are in a different situation because your husbands have no control over where they are sent and you are put into a position where you HAVE to cope while my husband will be going over there voluntarily. But I'd still like to hear how you cope. What emotions did you have to deal with?

And if there are any other overseas contractor spouses out there in the same situation I'm in now, I'd definitely love to hear from you.

Thanks.
You describe the job change as sudden, and your husband as impulsive, so you know it really was not the one glass argument that caused his decision. Men rarely vocalize their thoughts the way women do. We are prone to go over every detail of our thought process clearly and repetively until our partner or friends understand and can communicate on the subject and validate our feelings. Men grunt and keep their thoughts private where they are safe from exposure to criticism. I am telling you this, because the decision to take this particular job may be recent, but the longing to make a change and take care of the financial burden himself, has been something he has been struggling with for a long time. Just because it appeared to be a quick decision, does not mean it was not a very difficult one. No one is perfect and it would have been great if you two could have spent more time coming up with agreeable solutions before the situation snowballed. Is he alone in charge of your financial decisions and getting the family into debt? He is right to say to you that he is not getting the support from you that he needs and longs for. He needs you. Please don't make the last days you have with him before he goes off to a potentially dangerous zone, regretable ones. You are probably scared and this is a situation you cannot control. The anger has been masking your fear and frustration. Don't let that ugly mask be the last face your husband sees on you. This has nothing to do with who is right or wrong. He really does not expect you to love this hard decision, but he does expect you to love him. Military wives have husbands that made a decision to give up a lot of their personal choice and preference when they signed up, so the situation is not as different as you think. You have a son who is very impressionable and needs to see you support and love the man you married, his father. If you can't let go of the rage for your marriage, do it for your son. Prayers.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. Your advice really hit home. I'll try to work on my anger before he goes.

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BitsandPieces
"Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable. To say something you value deeply to another and to have him or her value it equally by listening to it carefully and apppreciatively is the most universal way of exchanging social interest or demonstrating affection." David Augsburger, CARING ENOUGH TO HEAR AND BE HEARD.


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http://www.coolnurse.com/

http://www.4woman.gov/violence/

http://www.childhelpusa.org/about/programs-and-services/childhelp-national-child-abuse-hotline-1-800-4-a-child

drug/alcohol abuse help go here: http://www.4drugabuse.com/addiction-treatment.html

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/1800-273-TALK(8255)
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, please dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You will be routed to the closest possible crisis center in your area. With over 120 crisis centers across the country, our mission is to provide immediate assistance to anyone seeking mental health services. Call for yourself, or someone you care about. Your call is free and confidential. -----------------------------------

http://www.kidscrisis.com/

http://www.teenadviceonline.org/gethelp/numbers.html

You can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline, operated by RAINN, 24 hours a day, free & confidential. 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

For info. on birth control etc.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

The Girls and Boys Town National Hotline is the only hotline that children and parents can call with any problem at any time:
Open 24-hours a day, every day at 1-800-448-3000

Spanish-speaking counselors available; translation services for 100+ languages

TTY line available for the hearing-impaired at 1-800-448-1833

Counselors can help find services and agencies in the callers' local community

Help at the End of the Line
Callers talk to highly-trained, professional counselors who listen and give "right now" answers. They're sympathetic people who have expertise dealing with these and other problems:

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Toll Free
Operated by Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, hotline services are free of charge to every parent and child in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Canada.

Toll-Free: 1-800-448-3000

http://www.sex-ed101.org/links.html

http://www.anorexicweb.com/anorexicweb.html

Report Child Abuse
Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD TDD: 1-800-2-A-CHILD



--------------------------------
All our motivations stem from two: Love or Fear. When in turmoil or indecision, ask yourself from which of these you are acting. If you want an honest response outside of yourself, you need to first be honest within yourself. Bless you on your journey!

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