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Old 12-10-2014, 07:58 PM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Stung
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 2,066
(((((hugs)))))

I can so relate to this experience. I have found that my husband buys me things not to get back into my good graces but to alleviate his own guilt about behaving badly. What my own recovery has taught me is that when you're dealing with an active alcoholic their actions are 99.99% not about you.

In terms of my husband buying me gifts it was his way of trying to manipulate forgiveness out of me - like I couldn't be mad at him anymore if he bought me a nice new pair of earrings - because as long as he was convinced that I was mad then he kept on feeling bad about himself. If he could move that process along at whatever pace he wanted then he could hurry up and feel better about himself. All the while my feelings, his feelings and the state of our marriage was, of course, never actually talked about.
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