Article: Whether you talk to friends or family members, reach out to those closest to you. You may want to talk about your spouse coming out or your reactions to the news. Even if your friends cannot change or solve anything, it can be helpful to share your thoughts and feelings in a safe environment. Talk to someone who makes you feel understood.  Because this is a sensitive topic, be careful about who you decide to confide in. Choose someone who will be supportive and understanding, not someone who will judge or lecture. Have coffee with a friend or reach out to a colleague. Say, “This is a difficult time for me and my family, and I’d appreciate your support.” It can be difficult to feel supported during this time, as many people will turn their support to your spouse. You might feel uncomfortable talking to close friends or family about your experience, so consider joining a support group. A support group can help you recognize that you are not the only one going through this and that other people are having a similar experience as you. You can ask for advice and support, hear other people’s stories, and learn from people in various stages of their spouse coming out.  Join a community support group or search for a group online. Whether people are near or far, it can be comforting to know other people who have ‘been there’ or are going through what you are going through. If you’re having a hard time adjusting to the news and need some support, a therapist can help you cope. Therapy is a safe place to express your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Your therapist can help you learn and practice coping skills. They can also help you know how to communicate more effectively with your spouse during this time.  It’s important to take care of your needs and care for yourself. If you feel like you need to understand your feelings better, a therapist can help. If you’re unsure of how to move forward with your spouse, consider seeing a couples’ therapist. It might be easier for you to discuss the changes and the way you feel in therapy instead of at home. Your therapist can help each of you to communicate the way you feel and your wants and needs to each other. If one or both of you is avoidant of discussing changes, therapy can help create safety around talking about things that are uncomfortable. Whatever choices you make as a couple, therapy can help facilitate those changes and help each of you to cope.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Utilize your support network. Join a support community. Get therapy. Go to couples’ counseling.
Article: If you accept a call before you have a chance to realize that it’s an automated message, get off the line right away. Don’t say anything, don’t press any buttons, just disconnect. Any type of response or interaction can signal to the caller that there’s a living, breathing person on the other end of the line that is willing to accept their calls. If they think you’re receptive, they’ll redouble their efforts, and the problem will just get worse.  Make a mental note of who’s calling so you can report them later if need be. If you’re on a landline that has Caller ID, go back and record the number so that you don’t make the same mistake should they call back. Pay attention to the name of the person or business indicated in the message so that you can later put in a request for them to stop calling you. Also, think back on anything you might have put your phone number on that could become an issue down the line. Go back and tell these callers you don’t wish to be contacted any further. It’s a hassle, but it may be necessary to bring the madness to an end. In most cases, recurring calls won’t stop until you get your number taken off the list. The Do Not Call Registry is an index of US phone numbers that are unlawful for sales-motivated entities to dial. It’s free to register your cell number, household landline or both, and, best of all, it stays on there forever. This won’t keep illegal scammers from trying to take advantage of you, but it will at least put a stop to above-board callers like department stores, doctor’s offices and telemarketers once and for all.  The Do Not Call Registry makes a great failsafe for those receiving automated calls on a landline or house phone. This service is run by the Federal Trade Commission, which can legally prosecute businesses who fail to heed the provisions it sets out. American citizens are protected under privacy laws created by the Federal Trade Commission. If you’re being harassed by automated calls from unlisted numbers, or a company fails to stop calling you after you’ve asked them to, your next course of action is to file a formal complaint with the FTC. They’ll issue a stern cease-and-desist to the sources of these robocalls, giving you the satisfaction of a hard-fought victory and some peace and quiet at last.  It is technically against the law for businesses to send out robocalls to private cell numbers.  Be ready to supply the FTC with the name or title of the caller, as well as the nature of the messages you’ve been receiving.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Hang up immediately. Manually withdraw from known call lists. Sign up for the National “Do Not Call” Registry. Call the FTC.