Do you suffer from PPCCS?

I had lunch with an acquaintance recently, and he wanted to talk about his marital problems. He was considering an affair, but I cautioned him that this would not solve his problem.  “Maybe”, I said, “your wife is frustrated and just needs you to listen.”  He never acknowledged that he might be the problem, and he only talked about her constant complaints.  After only a few minutes I began to suspect he was suffering from PPCCS.

Persistent Perceived Constant Criticism Syndrome (PPCCS) is the psychiatric medical name, but it is commonly referred to as “chronic bitch slapping” by men who like complaining about their wives. It is a leading cause of divorce, and 82.3% of married men suffer from it according to the latest informal poll taken at a local drinking establishment; 14.1% refused to discuss the issue, and 3.6% needed to discuss it with their wives before they could comment.  It is a perceived problem that if allowed to go unrecognized and treated will bring disastrous results and harm to a marriage.

But, where did this syndrome first appear?  The first recorded incident of a man’s view and thoughts on this syndrome was some two thousand plus years ago.  King Solomon who ruled over Israel for some forty years chronicled the first written record. 

Among many references that you will find written in the book of Proverbs are the following: “A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand;” Proverbs 27:15. “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife;” Proverbs 21:19, and “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife,” Proverbs 21:9.

Yes, I believe King Solomon was an authority on women. In 1 Kings 11:3 we learned,  “He (Solomon) had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.”  Solomon had the pick of the best.  More than likely they were all virgins, beautiful, and intelligent. Not your everyday girl on the street; there might be some knowledge to be learned from this.  Maybe beauty is only skin deep, but as Red Foxx use to say, “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes all the way to the bone.”   

You can read about the riches of King Solomon’s splendor in 2 Chronicles chapter 9.  He indeed had it all but his wives and their “gods” were his downfall.  He tried to please them by bowing to their wishes and desires but was ultimately led astray.  Unfortunately he allowed himself to be enticed into worshiping false gods like many in today’s world.

Although you can find disparaging remarks about the character of a class of women in the book of Proverbs, you can also find a description of what a “real” woman from a man’s perspective would be like.  “The Wife of Noble Character” is indeed a superwoman, and her description is found in Proverbs 31:19-31. A man would be fortunate to have such a wife, but in reality no such woman could ever exist if she had to be a “mother” to a husband and family. 

I would encourage you to read the book of Proverbs for some great insight in daily living.  When you finish Proverbs the next book over is Ecclesiastes, a man’s search for the meaning of life, followed by the Song of Songs, a lover’s love for his beloved.  If you are a seeker, you will not be disappointed.

Solomon’s gives us one more look into his apparent frustration with women in Ecclesiastes 7:27-28 where it is recorded, “Look, says the teacher, this is what I have discovered: Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things–while I was still searching but not finding—I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.”

Maybe that is why God only intended for a man to have one wife (one at a time, that is) because God knew man would not be happy otherwise.  But wait; maybe the Islamic suicide bomber going to be with seventy virgins is not heaven after all.  Maybe it is pure hell.  I am glad I am not going there.

In the culture of Biblical times most women were viewed as property and had no rights.  In today’s world Islamic women are still treated as property.  Jesus Christ elevated women and taught otherwise.  In the true Christian religion, women are men’s equals and partners in marriage.  Men and women should seek Christian partners for a truly happy and sustainable life.  When married partners treat each other as equals you truly have a marriage made in Heaven.

I wish I could claim originality for the term “Bitch Slap.”  It is a term a man could laugh about, but women probably do not see the humor.  While tuning across the TV channels I heard a man refer to his wife using this term.  I believe it was a comedy show, and the wife had been making wifely remarks; men, you know what I’m writing about.  The husband finally responded with, “quit bitch slapping me around, woman!” or something to that effect.

I am sure that in most arguments between a husband and wife the term has been used.  Likewise I am sure the wife has used the “donkey term.”  Although this has been written for humor, it is a two way street.  Women can likewise suffer from both physical and mental abuse by their husbands. If you are a woman and are in an abusive situation, seek help immediately before you are severely injured.

There is hope if you are a believer in Jesus Christ and will be going to the Heaven He promised, and you have not had a happy marriage or marriages while here on earth.  Jesus said in Matthew 22:30, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.”

If you have enjoyed your marriage here on earth you may be disappointed in not continuing your marriage in Heaven.  I know I will, but God knows best and I will trust Him and His plans for my future.  What about you?  

Disclaimer:  I do not suffer from PPCCS, but I know a lot of men who perceive they do.  For those of you who do suffer (both Christian and non-Christian), seek counseling from a Christian counselor with your spouse before it is too late to save your marriage. 

This entry was posted on 13. August 2009 at 03:15 and is filed under Man Gone Wild!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.