TIME Magazine: Health & Science

From Time Magazine
By Jeninne Lee-St. John on Nov. 24, 2008

Postnuptial depression may not be a clinical diagnosis, but it has entered the lexicon of marriage in the past few years, and newly hitched couples will tell you it’s real. The blues typically hit early in married life, psychiatrists say, as newlyweds begin recognizing that expectations of how their partner or relationship will change post-wedding are unrealistic. Worse, once the Big Day has come and gone, couples are suddenly forced to step out of their much-cherished, and often long-lived, “bride” or “groom” spotlight and just get on with real life.

That feeling of losing one’s selfhood can be overwhelming, especially when it’s coupled with the sense of duty to do everything as a pair, says Dr. Jane Greer, a marriage and family therapist based in New York City who has taught a seminar called Are You Ready for Commitment? “It’s a question of how prepared you are to become ‘we,’” she says.

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November 24th, 2008