Why my marriage started off chaotic, problematic – Etim Effiong

• Etim-Effiong delved into the difficulties he faced in navigating his wife’s assertive nature in the early years of their marriage.
• He also acknowledged that his interactions with numerous women and a lack of clear boundaries added to the conflicts in his marriage.

Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has shared his experiences of navigating the early days of his marriage to his wife, Toyosi.

In a recent interview, he discussed the difficulties he faced in adjusting to his wife’s assertive nature, which initially presented challenges for him as a husband.

Etim-Effiong acknowledged that his own behaviors and lack of clear boundaries contributed to the conflicts in his marriage.

He admitted to struggling with maintaining healthy relationships with women outside of his marriage, which led to tension and instability in his union.

He acknowledged feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about his role as a husband.

Etim-Effiong however noted that learning to set boundaries and prioritize his relationship with his wife ultimately brought clarity and stability to their marriage.

In his words:

“I’m not used to people having a say… Being with a wife that was so assertive was chaotic for me. I felt I was losing my grip on the marriage. I felt I wasn’t being a man or a husband, and it messed with my mind.

“Of course there were issues with women all around me and I didn’t know how to set boundaries at the time as well so I was just like all over the place.

“It was later I started to learn about boundaries that I actually need to draw the line and say it’s not okay that you can call me at funky hours of the night, she might be your friend but it’s not okay, you’re married now, things like that for example. So the issues went on and on, we’d quarrel”.