Abstract
This paper explores, primarily through literature review and case illustrations, the function of pain in marriage. The fact that pain is analogically used is evident in the title of this paper. Clinical exploration of this important phenomenon reveals a wide variety of meanings and purposes pain has in the context of marital relationships. These clinical observations need to be molded into testable hypotheses and subjected to systematic research. Despite the obvious lack of research, marital therapy based on an understanding of the function of pain in marriage appears to have substantial merit.
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Roy, R. “I have a headache tonight”: Function of pain in marriage. International Journal of Family Therapy 6, 165–176 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00926929
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00926929