As the slowdown leaves couples all stressed out, counsellors advise more openness in financial matters
As the slowdown leaves couples all stressed out, counsellors advise more openness in financial matters
Fifty per cent of the men are afraid their love lives will take a turn for the worse because of the economic downturn, a survey has found.
Opinion Research Corporation, which conducted the survey, found that couples often fail to communicate about being broke and hence land up in conflicting arguments. It said 57 per cent Bangalorean men are stressed out about their relationships because.
MiD DAY spoke to couples and counsellors to find out how Bangalore was coping.
Too secretive
"Instead of talking it out, couples keep their feelings locked inside, and this leads to cheating or divorce. Stress and anxiety often erode trust between partners, especially if one misunderstands why the other is acting distant or distracted," said Rani Rajkumar, psychiatrist and marriage counsellor.
Managing money judiciously can help in such stressful times. "Relationships help people cope with stress, so we gravitate toward finding and maintaining them in tough times. Also couples need to learn to prioritise their expenses," said Vinita Makhija, an IT consultant.
Marriage on hold
But not everyone is so optimistic. "I was to get engaged last month but my boyfriend lost his job. Suddenly he wasn't keen on getting engaged," said Swathi Kapoor, an HR professional.
Relationships of the poor may not be as badly affected as those of the rich, some believe. And that's because for them money is money, not just a symbolic indicator of social status.
"Money can be a refiner and not just a provider! The haves can refine their lives and relationships with money, but the have-nots are not messing up their relationships just for want of money," said Srinithi, a dentist.
Back to work
Cynthia V had stopped working after she got pregnant and had no intentions of getting back until her baby was at least a year old.
But she has been forced to go back to work at her old construction company. "My baby was just three months old, but I had no option," she told MiD DAY. Her husband has a good job but the couple felt one salary wasn't enough.
Money worries make the best of people moody and cranky. "Discuss the problem with your spouse. Your spouse has to know about it before anyone else," said Dr Gitanjali Sharma, relationship expert.
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