How they present?Sometimes, the couple may present with their marital problems, but more often, they present indirectly through psychological or psychosomatic symptoms.
Anxiety symptoms: insomnia, irritability, restlessness, palpitations, inability to concentrate.
Depressive symptoms : Mood variations, weeping spells, inability to remember/concentrate, weight loss, loss of sexual desire etc.
Marital problems reflected in children: Disorders of sleep, anorexia, attention seeking tantrums, lying, stealing or addictions,
What are the problems?First 5 years i.e. Phase of Novelty: Wife has social problems: stress of withdrawal from parents, adoption to new responsibilities, problems with in laws. There may be sexual dysfunctions, which couple tries to hide. Then there may be financial problems, lack of privacy, lack of leisure time together etc. Second Phase of middle age= 30-50 years Stress of responsibilities of growing children Wife depressed because husband does not participate in house jobs. White husband depressed because wife is not sympathetic/interested in his work. Major stress if financial status deteriorates: due to unemployment, drinking, gambling etc.Differential interests & attitudes when both work in two different fields. Third Phase of retirement & old age. Early retirement or no promotion at job may cause depression. Problems with grown up children, daughters in law. Stress of sudden decline of earnings on retirement. Other conflicts: There may be conflicting differences in their faith in God & Religion, Beliefs about how to raise children, about birth control, sterilization or abortion. Sexual dysfunction in husband and wife, which they feel shy & insulting to discuss with anyone else and also amongst themselves. Another problem in marital conflicts is that one of the partners may just refuse dto accept that there is any problem.
