If
42-year old Kazuo Nakada has his way, the over 200,000 Japanese
children whose parents divorce each year will take a virtual trip
to his discussion group “Children who Witnessed their Parents’
Divorce,” so they can share their feelings, connect with a
supportive peer group, and get the insight and inspiration they need to
move forward with their lives.
Nakada’s discussion group,
which is set up on the popular social networking site Mixi, has a
following of close to 4,000 Japanese children of divorce.
It’s a number that Nakada, whose parents divorced when he was
just six months old, hopes will increase as more people recognize
how traumatic divorce can be; especially in a culture that heavily
emphasizes a stoic approach to suffering; especially as it relates to
mental health and well being.
“Even as an adult it can be hard to recover from the trauma caused by your parents’ divorce,” Nakada told the Asahi Shinbum, a Japanese and Asian-focused news outlet. “I wanted to help people in the same boat.”
Nakada is also hoping that
his upcoming book will increase awareness of the emotional impact
of divorce on children.
“It is important for us to
live now and in the future by achieving emotional closure
somewhere, instead of being tied to the past,” he added.
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