Therapists study gays, lesbians in heterosexual relationships

[kweerwolf]

Hollywood might have romanticized Oscar winner Brokeback Mountain as a love story, but in the real world, couples who live dual lives like the film's characters did can bear heavy emotional burdens that can tear their families apart.

Dubbed "disguised spouse syndrome" by Fort Worth psychiatrist Debra Kowalski and psychotherapist Sharon Cook, the phenomenon of gay or lesbian adults in opposite-sex relationships has affected about 5 percent of people in their practices. They are studying people in those situations and how it affects their families.

Many gay or lesbian people establish families with children and go about their lives for years until their spouses discover their secret, Kowalski said.

<snip>

Kowalski and Cook hope others who are living with this secret will anonymously fill out a survey that aims to shed light on the situation and aid in their research. Completed surveys can be faxed to Kowalski and Cook.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/local/14037459.htm

[murray hill farm]

1. anyone who lives a lie..any lie..will have horrible issues..

with themselves and in their relationships. i was a private practice psychotherapist for many years..and so many times i thought that there is no difference at all in the relationship issues between homosexual couples and heterosexual couples...it is always exactly the same dynamics in place..no difference whatsoever! none! IN any relationship, such a huge lie must doom the relationship...it cannot survive. The anwser is to be true to who you are..always. I am glad these folks are doing the research though...if nothing else, to recognize the depth and self destructive nature of such a lie..and to bring it to light.

[MikeStl]

2. hmmm

I think the opening line of the article can go in the duh category. In my opinion the movie itself was more of a cautionary tale of the dangers of homophobia and the damage it causes on all parties involved (not just the gay ones) than a love story. They must have just figured that was too big of concept for people to get their head around and promoted it as a love story instead.