Jill and her husband had attended a friend’s party, and Jill came home upset. Her husband’s friendliness—and what looked like flirtation—with another woman kept her awake all night, feeling hurt, angry, and threatened. She knew her husband loved her; she wasn’t worried that he would cheat. Still, the whole thing made her feel bad.
She tried to let it go, not wanting to create a conflict and upset the “good stretch” they were in. She was worried about how her husband would react to her insecurity. But, after a few days of stuffing it down, her hurt feelings were still sitting heavy on her mind and heart. And worse, they were turning into resentment—a narrative about her husband that started with “how could he, how dare he” and the like. She knew she had to say something when she found herself obsessively ruminating and snapping at him over small things.
