In-Laws Emotionally Abusive

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

My wife and I have been married for nearly a year and I'm ready to call it quits. My mother-in-law is a meddler and my father-in-law an alcoholic, although he would never admit it. They seem to have nothing nice to say, nit-picking everything. My wife does nothing to stop them. She acts like nothing happened after they leave and I'm totally disgusted.

Signed,

Help

Dear Help,

It sounds like your wife has suffered from an upbringing of emotional abuse. Your wife has learned to desensitize herself from her parent's mistreatment. It's hard for a daughter to break away from such demanding parents.

It would be best for both of you to seek guidance from a marriage counselor to figure out coping strategies in order to deal with her parents and to help build a strong and supportive marriage. In the meantime, keep being cordial, but keep your distance from her parents. Best of luck.