Thanks for the good advice. I was nervous posting on this sub because I know sometimes folks get kind of nasty on here! But your reply was thoughtful and the advice is very sound. I definitely do not want my husband to be unhappy, and the thing you said about holding on too tightly really hit home.

I guess it is hard for me to understand his need for so much social interaction because I, and everyone in my family, are introverts and every friend I've ever had has been introverted. He's the only extrovert I've ever really been in any sort of relationship (familial, friendly, romantic) with.

I am not sure why it has taken this many years for it to really become an issue - but it has, and I want to make sure I give him the respect he deserves and the space that he needs Admittedly, I need time by myself away from any other people, to include my husband and my child (my kid is awesome and I love him so much, but he can drive me bonkers by the end of the day lol). I need that alone time to recharge and relax and remember that I am still a person and not just "so and so's wife, or so and so's mom."

So I guess if I frame that in the mind of an extrovert, I could say he needs time away from his wife and kid to recharge and remind himself that he is still a person and not just a title so to speak?

All that being said, I still think counseling might be a good option - even if we can both acknowledge and sort of sympathize with each other's feelings, it's another thing to be able to find a middle ground in which we can both have our needs fulfilled. We have been able to work through previous marital issues together, so I know we can figure this out.

I think I might write him a letter and just reiterate what I've said in this reply and tell him I love him and want him to be happy and to see how we can figure out a way to meet both of our needs.

Thank you for the kind advice! It was actually very helpful and opened up my mind a little!