My shrink & only my shrink. Bound by professional ethics & law, confidential revelations are protected. Family, friends, the local bartender are not.

I don't know a lot of people and i already know what family would say for the most part. My latest issue I ended up talking to her about it. It seems it didn't end well

When previous relationships were failing first we went to counselors. Unfortunately, the issue was nonredeemable. Their families got involved and made matters worse for their own daughters. Relationships between adults is supposed to transcend families.

I've learned a GREAT DEAL from various articles vs therapist, if I know what to search for. Did you know you can be "breadcrumbed" by family? (only recently came across the term, and a whole host of others)
I've also found a great deal of pieces that would help men a lot. Not much is written for them but it's out there, and it's kinda sad when I know an answer to something on say, this site, but just don't say anything because it will get "splained", only for them to go off and repeat the cycle again.
If ONLY I'd had access to this stuff when I was YOUNG!!! Hopefully my girl gets some benefit from discussing various topics.

A shoulder is nice to vent but I've found I have to be careful to whom and what I cut loose about...

In my case, if I have an issue in my relationship the only way to resolve it is talking to my partner. I believe that bringing in a third party would only complicate matters. I would not trust myself to explain the problem to a third party because I would certainly be biased...

My first marriage was like yours in the sense that my ex-wife is a control freak. So bad that my son enlisted to the US Marines to be independent of her, She isolated me from my own brothers and we brothers are very close, began making enemies with my friends. I ended up taking hard drugs, eg heroin, cocaine) and things went tumbling down. I ended up in the streets after buying a nice condo near Central Park West in New York. I managed to get off drugs and got clean and felt so free after the divorce, I even gave my ex the condo. I remarried again and had a girl almost 10 years later. I did not want any relationships with women so I was like a priest for a long time. We lasted 15 yrs but we still have a very good friendly relationshio which has been good for my daughter. I am not getting married anymore. 2x was enough for me. I live alone and rather be alone than in a sick relationship. I will make friends, male and female and leave it at that.

MY first marriage ended badly, when I was in my early twenties after five years.
The marriage and relationship was all totally on her terms, I was isolated from everyone, family friends to such an extent, that later, I realised I was subject to cultish brainwashing techniques.
Ultimately the relationship collapsed on her terms too, for reason I won't go in to, she found someone better able to provide for her wants.
I was left with literally no one and nothing, even my relationship with my immediate family never fully recovered, they saw me as having deserted them, and I felt they abandoned me (my brother I believe even had an affair with my ex behind my back).
Afterward it took five years of therapy, new friends and getting my head straight to come to the conclusion that you cannot actually rely on anyone other than yourself, that you have to stay strong in will, protect yourself, be assertive and never submissive. Marriage and a relationship (be it romantic or friendship) is a partnership, if one or the other is constantly trying to get the upper hand, it is not going to work in the long term.
Mutual Love is and has to be the basis, it must be based on honesty, trust and determination.

I really think being alone is the best thing. Friends and family can offer biased and bad advice.

I seek the advice of a therapist. Then again, I may be biased, as I am a therapist myself.

And no, this was not a solipsistic joke: I go see other therapists, LOL.

The only place I know of is with the person I'm having the issues with. Nobody else is involved. Nobody else knows the full story. Nobody else needs to be involved. Of course, friends and family will be adding their 2-cents worth, but that advice never seems to cut to the real issues or solutions.

Friends have always been a good source of perspective, if not advice. And some friends are better with some topics than others.

I don't need advice. I have learned through years of experience that whether I am right or wrong I apologize. That's what man has to do.

I always talked to friends and they'd be sympathetic and we'd bash on my ex. But it was my sister who stepped in and really helped me get away from him.