Newly married, overcoming stress

ES0603

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I live in the US, my husband lives in Japan. We started a long distance relationship in 2016 when he was 19 and I was 17, and just got married in June 2019.
Because we are both very stressed working on getting him a visa, only being able to be together for 3 months at a time until he moves here, culture shock when visiting each other’s home countries, on top of just trying to get used to living with each other and accepting each other’s habits and everything, it has been a very rough 11 months.
Neither of us are very good at controlling our anger, and occasionally we have a language barrier (which is worse during arguments because we end up misunderstanding and getting even more upset) and even when one of us is trying hard not to let things get out of control, if the other is making no attempt to keep calm, things end up escalating. He has threatened divorce a few times, and ultimately we have worked things out but I’m scared of things eventually getting past the point of repair.

I was raised in a Christian household but my husband is a new believer and I think he often waivers about his faith.

I would appreciate any advice and tips from other married Christian couples on overcoming anger and jealousy and stress in a new marriage...
 

turkle

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This is so sad. You started a marriage with many strikes against you that are extremely difficult to overcome in the best of situations. I'm sure you realize that international travel will be on hold for a long time, and visas are mostly suspended.

If you want your marriage to succeed, you will both need to control your anger. In your shoes, I would have a discussion in a calm moment about resolving to not ever raise your voices to each other and to give each other the benefit of the doubt at all times. It's important to keep calm and talk through difficulties and misunderstandings instead of getting heated up about it.

Japanese culture is so very different from American culture. I am the child of Japanese and American parents, and grew up in Japan. While it is possible to bridge the culture gap, it will take a tremendous amount of patience, thought and consideration, and above all, maturity from both of you. You are very young and that will be hard, but I recommend that you both agree to keep calm regardless of what you are feeling, because the relationship is of much higher value than a momentary emotion. Pray for each other and together, and ask for God's guidance on what to do to have a successful marriage. Praying together will deepen your bond and help in the spiritual growth of both of you.
 
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NerdGirl

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You're both SO young, from different countries and cultures, and living thousands of miles apart. Married less than a year and already the D word has come up. I would have a serious heart-to-heart with him about how committed he is to this marriage. If you're both on the same page with wanting to see it through, I highly recommend getting into counseling (maybe online through video sessions, since you live in separate countries right now?). It sounds to me like this may have been a very impulsive, hasty thing to do (getting married so young when you aren't living in the same country). Keep it in prayer, of course, and I wish you both the best.
 
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ES0603

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You're both SO young, from different countries and cultures, and living thousands of miles apart. Married less than a year and already the D word has come up. I would have a serious heart-to-heart with him about how committed he is to this marriage. If you're both on the same page with wanting to see it through, I highly recommend getting into counseling (maybe online through video sessions, since you live in separate countries right now?). It sounds to me like this may have been a very impulsive, hasty thing to do (getting married so young when you aren't living in the same country). Keep it in prayer, of course, and I wish you both the best.

We have been discussing marriage since we started talking 4 and a half years ago, and of course we knew it would be difficult but with how hard it is to move to another country, the only way to actually be together long term (unless you’re rich and can afford to pay for school in another country) is to get married and get a marriage visa, which is what we are in the process of doing.
He has a lot of trauma from his childhood, and I’ve thought for a long time that he probably has PTSD (my mother also has PTSD from child abuse/trauma, and he has a lot of the same symptoms, if not more than she does).
I have talked with him about it multiple times, and he is definitely on the same page, but it seems like the “divorce” thing, (or preparing to run away from the situation) is like a protection mechanism for him. His parents divorced because his mom cheated on his father, and he’s been cheated on by 2 past girlfriends.
I definitely want to get us into counseling, I just hope I can find something affordable, that will actually be helpful. Therapy, even medicine, never helped with my moms PTSD, so I don’t have much faith in it.
 
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