Why Singles Are Doing Better Than Couples In The Lockdown
Huffington Post | When romantic relationships or marriages become their own kind of prison.
Renuka, a single mom from Hyderabad, is thanking her lucky stars that her marriage ended in the nick of time. The recently divorced 30-year-old shudders to think of what would have happened had she been living with her former husband and in-laws during the lockdown. “There used to be constant arguments because of different value systems and incompatibility. Those fights would have turned nastier with everyone locked inside the house 24×7,” she said. No longer must she contend with the energy-sapping “disrespect and negativity” from her husband, and for all its hardships, the lockdown is largely peaceful for her.
This cannot be said of many couples who are still sharing the same space—and hitting the proverbial ceiling as a result.
According to Kolkata-based clinical psychologist Anindita Chowdhury, the lockdown has turned into an ordeal for many couples. “There are no external factors at play. There are no escapes,” she said.
Interestingly, single people living with flatmates are not reporting the kind of distress that Indian couples are, said several experts.
“I’ve heard couples say they can’t stand each other any longer during the lockdown,” Chowdhury said, “but I have not had any woman say this about her flatmates yet.”
So, what is it about coupledom that makes the four walls seem to close in so much more?
