Mental health is often underestimated or dismissed in favor of more physical issues such as broken bones, bruises, or cuts, but the reality is that many Americans suffer trauma and victimization, or other stressful events like problems in relationships or trouble with a marriage, and someone going through a troubled marriage or trauma and victimization may want to seek out counseling, therapy, and other mental health services to restore marriages, save relationships, or help someone learn ways to cope with and move on from trauma and victimization, such as physical or verbal abuse at the hands of a spouse or parent or intense bullying. Some Americans suffer abuse because of neurological differences, such as those with autism or mental retardation, or if their spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend is verbally or even physically abusive for one reason or another. Trauma and victimization affects many Americans every year, and the demographics of some victims may be surprising. How can someone who has gone through trauma and victimization or a strained relationship or marriage find help?
Saving a Marriage
Often, adult Americans have difficulties with their marriage, and today, nearly 50% of marriages end in divorce. Those whose marriage is in trouble may want to find counseling services to help a failing marriage, and this can often save a marriage. What is troubling these marriages? Often, ongoing issues that cause divorce may prompt a couple to seek counseling so they can avoid facing a divorce. Infidelity, for example, is a common issues among married Americans, and catching a partner cheating can cause serious issues with trust, self-esteem, and more, and other issues such as disagreements on spending habits or lifestyle, poor communication in general, or a substance or alcohol abuse problem may also jeopardize a marriage.
One or both spouses in a troubled marriage may look up local counseling services for this, and often an Internet search such as “marriage counseling Burlington Vermont” or “marriage counselors near me San Diego CA” can yield nearby clinics. The spouses will attend together, typically, and the counselor will help them foster strong communication so that they can, to put it simply, air out their grievances with each other. This diagnoses the problem and each spouse’s personal aims and concerns, and this allows the counselor to help them figure out solutions, many of which involve constant communication, and rebuilding mutual trust, understanding, and cooperation. Success rates of such counseling will vary, but some statistics suggest that this is a highly effective way to repair a damaged marriage and prevent a divorce from being filed.
Trauma
Other patients, meanwhile, have gone through trauma and victimization of something physical and/or verbal, and this can have a serious mental impact on the victim. Physical abuse leaves bruises, but mental trauma can be invisible if the patient hides it. Many victims refuse to find help because they only blame themselves, or they are afraid of repercussions at the hands of their abuser, or they fear scorn or disapproval from society at large. Many sexual assault victims are women, usually at the hands of men, but sometimes, men too are the victims of sexual abuse, whether from women or other men, and they often face a serious stigma of men admitting being a victim. Other times, a person may suffer serious bullying at a workplace, school, or anywhere else for any number of reasons, ranging from discrimination against race or sex all the way to bullying a mentally handicapped individual. This abuse may even be at the hands of family members or legal guardians, or even teachers.
Those who suffer such abuse may suffer further consequences such as depression or self-blame, and this may continue until the victim reaches out to counseling and therapy. The exact proceedings of such therapy will vary, but often, a counselor will help rebuild the victim’s self-esteem and self-image and emphasize that the problem is the bully’s own attitude, not the victim’s own nature. A counselor can provide coping methods for the patient ranging from arts and crafts to meditation or spiritual assistance, and Christian counseling can help for those who may want their Christian faith to guide them and provide relief against whoever tormented them.
