Mental health issues can be very difficult to identify in a marital relationship because many of the signs are misinterpreted as unfulfilled expectations in marriage. The realities of mental health usually sets into many marriages when it becomes very worrisome and intolerable. Couples in new marriages are also prone to mental health problems as they are more likely to take necessary issues for granted after saying ‘I do’.

 

Moving away

As beautiful as marriage is, it can also be very challenging for a couple going through the different changes that come with it. It can be much more challenging for a woman leaving her home for the very first time to live with her husband, especially if she is miles away from her parents. Also getting to understand the expectations required of you when married into a different ethnic group can become rather distressing for a woman who lacks the right support from her husband at the initial stage of her marriage.

 

Debt after the ‘i do’

Planning a wedding comes with all its glitz and glamour, which can also create the opportunity to spend on excessive luxuries and mount up debt after the wedding day. Debt can affect different people in different ways; while a new wife may be comfortable with debt incurred for the purpose of having an unforgettable wedding, her new husband may find the financial burden of paying back the debt very distressing. This can trigger conflict and resentment in the marriage. This can further lead to isolation and loneliness, which can have an impact on their mental and emotional well-being.

 

Stay-at-home wife

Imagine being that woman who had to settle into a marriage filled with stringent conditions such as leaving your well-paid career to become a housewife. The truth is that there are still many women in marriage today who have to face strict conditions due to their husband’s religion or principles. This can lead to loss of purpose and fulfilment for a woman who once had a great life and suddenly became a prisoner in her own marriage. She may further isolate herself from friends and loved ones in an effort to conceal the situation from them, which can impact on her well-being.

 

Parents-in-law

A woman who was raised to think freely and develop a sense of self worth can suddenly find marriage a distressing surprise if she has controlling parents-in-law who do not subscribe to individual liberty or freedom of expression. This can become detrimental to a woman’s emotional and physiological health. This can lead to a mental health concern as the marriage progresses.

 

New addition

The feeling of becoming new parents is awesome; however, the arrival of a new baby can be a huge transition for some couples and making the necessary adjustments can be very difficult too. A new addition can become an exhausting experience for a new mum, and this can impact on her emotional well-being, especially if her husband is not a hands-on dad at home. A new mum can suffer from mental health if she is not getting the support she needs and a new dad can also suffer from mental health if he feels isolated and rejected by his wife, especially if all the attention is directed towards their new baby.

 

Mental illness is real!

 

Written by Elizabeth Badejo for the Punch