Sound Medicine -- May 25, 2002

Barbara Lewis and Dr. David Crabb talk to experts about:

Prescription for a healthy marriage
Fear recovery after September 11

Prescription for a healthy marriage

After the June wedding, it's marriage. Dr. Steve Bogdewic specializes in marriage and family therapy and has been counseling couples for the past two decades. He is professor and vice chair for the Department of Family Medicine and is assistant dean of primary care education at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He's also happily married.

Dr. Bogdewic talks about the positive aspects of couples fighting, saying that resolving conflict successfully can increase intimacy. He discusses being able to recognize and deal with personality differences, and he talks about the pros and cons of prenuptial personality tests. He also addresses family history and other risks for divorce and how self-aware individuals can overcome them.

Dr. Bogdewic offers two general bits of advice to couples seeking to improve their marriage. One is to ensure that your positive characteristics and habits outweigh your negative ones. Another is to look inward, to see how you can change yourself, before demanding change in your partner.

Resources

Dr. Bogdewic recommends the book, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail," by John Gottman. It's available at Amazon.com.

The Web site for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) is aimed at professionals, but it's also an excellent resource for couples seeking a marriage counselor or marriage preparation advice.

Dr. Pepper Schwartz compiles marriage advice collected by several experts in her article "Love is Not All You Need," which appeared in the May 2002 issue of Psychology Today.

Recovery from fear after September 11th

Since September 11th, Americans has experienced living with fear. How is our mental health, nearly nine months after the attacks?

Brad Schmidt is an associate professor of psychology at Ohio State University and director of the OSU's Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic. Dr. Schmidt talks about the psychological changes Americans have undergone since September 11, including how we deal with a newfound sense of vulnerability. He discusses trends and ongoing surveys measuring stress and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD. While genetic predisposition to anxiety plays a role, Schmidt emphasizes environmental stress factors, such as witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. He also talks about warning signs and treatment for anxiety disorders.

A prolific author, Dr. Schmidt wrote the cover story for the February 2002 issue of Psychology Today entitled "Fear Not," analyzing our fears and anxiety since the attacks on September 11th. Dr. Schmidt is the keynote speaker at the Mental Health Symposium in Indianapolis on May 31st.

Resources

The 5th Annual Mental Health Symposium, "Mental Health in Troubled Times: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," takes place Friday, May 31st in Indianapolis. For more information, contact the Mental Health Association in Indiana: 317-638-3501 or 800-555-MHAI.

Dr. Schmidt's cover story "Fear Not" appeared in the February 2002 issue of Psychology Today.

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What's the answer?

It's the number-three cause of death in America, behind heart disease and cancer. It's a major cause of disabilities, too. Yet this disease is hardly on the mental radar of many Americans, even though its risks are well-known and people can take steps to prevent it. What's this mystery disease?

The current divorce rate in the United States is tallied at 43% to 50%, depending on the methodology used to collect the data. Here are some other facts about marriage and divorce in the U.S.

• Ten percent of Americans are currently divorced.
• In 2000, 52% of households were maintained by married couples, down from 55% in 1990.
• Also in 2000, 26% of households consisted of people living alone.
• In 2000, unmarried-partner households accounted for 5.2 percent of all households, up from 3.5 in 1990.

Sources: National Center for Health Statistics and the US Census Bureau