WACKY MARRIAGE FIGHTS

(April, 2018) (From the Huffington Post) Several family therapists were asked about the most ridiculous fights they’ve had to mediate:
– Fight No. 1: Cat treats. “The husband likes feeding the cat treats. The wife thinks it’s bad for the cat’s health. The couple ratcheted this fight to the level that they were considering divorce, but then who would get the cat? I suggested they agree upon a limited number of treats per day, and that he would be the one to give treats and she would feed the cat. This seemed to solve the problem.” ― Tina Tessina, psychotherapist
– Fight No. 2: A race to file divorce papers. It was a high-speed car race to the courthouse to see which spouse could file the divorce papers first. The counselor had each one on conference call on their cell phones. As they fought and she mediated the dispute, the husband said he was getting in his truck to go to the courthouse to file the divorce papers. The wife took that as a dare and said she’d beat him to it. They both raced across town to beat the other to filing. Fortunately (*really?), by the time they got there, the therapist had been able to talk them down and neither one of them actually went in and filed that day. ― Kurt Smith, therapist who specializes in counseling men
– Fight No. 3: Dreams vs. reality. “The wife was having recurring dreams that the husband was unfaithful with a close friend of hers. Her dreams were completely fabricated and based on absolutely no evidence of his real-life actions or intentions. She would blame him for treating her so poorly and for sneaking around behind her back with her best friend. It turned out that the wife was having an increase in bad dreams due to an increased consumption of melatonin supplement to help her fall asleep faster.” ― Laura Heck, couples therapist
– Fight No. 4: An argument about the argument. Couples often fight about who started the argument or who was slow to let it drop or first to make peace. The ‘solution’ to a go-round like this is to pause and wonder why innocence and guilt are worth fighting about. No matter who ‘started’ the fight, the bigger question is, ‘Why did you get hooked and stay hooked, rather than find a way to de-escalate it?’” ― Winifred M. Reilly, marriage and family therapist
* Do couples ever argue over how much they’re spending on marriage counseling?
* On the other hand: “He gives the cat a few treats, she gives the cat food.” Insight like that is worth every penny.
* Convincing miserable people to stay together. Shouldn’t that be, like, a crime?
* At least none of the stories involved firearms or samurai swords.
* PHONE TOPIC: What was your most ridiculous fight with your spouse?