Anonymous asked this question on 4/2/2000:

What is going on in my boyfriend's head? On one side, he is very sweet and expressive and tells me he loves me constantly. Then, is explosive, controlling, verbally abusive. For example, spend two days with him and everythings great, then, when he comes to my house to show me answers to my questions on my computer, takes over without letting me show him what I've been doing possibly wrong, so he can explain it the correct way. Suddenly says, "shut the f*** up! Gets angry before I know what's going on, grabs my glasses on my face, bends them and pulls them off my face. He hits me twice, on the chest, but not hard enough to hurt me. He has gotten mad and explodes all the time but always calms down. I tell him he needs medication, and counseling but he rejects that notion. His mother was very controlling he says and his father very gentle. I believe that. There is no excuse the way he behaves. When this happens, I won't see him for a while and he always gets me to come back to him by telling me he over reacted and loves me. I want to tell him I don't won't him to call me again until he has gotten counseling for a year and knows he was abusive and has learned to conrol his temper. Other that this terrible side of him he is a great person. He is 59 years old. I tell him he will grow old alone because he won't change. Is there a good book out there to read that gives a person insight into abusive behavior? I need to move on because I deserve better. I need to know if therapy changes people like this permanently if they choose and what is the success rate?

kruck gave this response on 4/24/2000:

First of all it is never ok to hit or be hit. At this mans age he will never change, and I don't think he even believes he has a problem. He says his mother was controlling, he's not owning his own junk. He does not have to be his mother. It sounds as though his abuse issues with women may have been caused by how his mother treated his father. However he is incontroll of himself, he needs to get the fact that at his age he will not change without some serious serious therapy. I suggest to you get out now while you still can. Do not look back, have respect for yourself, more importantly if you have children think what this is doing to them. Do you want to have a child turn out this way. Children learn from what they see. Get on with your life. You can go to any book store and find wonderful books. You really don't need a book to realize you need to move on without this man.

The average rating for this answer is 3.