Choosing the Right Phrase: 'Struggle from' vs 'Struggle with'

When it comes to expressing difficult experiences in English, the verb struggle is one of the most versatile and commonly used terms. While native speakers often use struggle with, there is an interesting debate surrounding the usage of struggle from. In this article, we will explore the nuances of both phrases and provide you with insights on when to use each one effectively.

Understanding 'Struggle with'

Struggle with is a phrase that indicates continuous effort to overcome difficulties or challenges. This phrase emphasizes the ongoing battle or the process of dealing with something that is hindering progress or causing frustration. For example:

To struggle with: to try very hard to do, achieve, or deal with something that is difficult or that causes problems.

Struggle with sentence examples:

Every struggle is a victory.

In spite of the continual struggle for custody, he had felt more welcome at the Medena home than he had with his step-father’s family.

We had firm footing on which to struggle forward.

He could easily overpower her in a struggle or outlast her in a chase.

These examples illustrate how struggle with is used to describe a continuous effort or a process of dealing with a problem or a condition.

The Curiosity of 'Struggle from'

Struggle from is a phrase that tends to be somewhat unusual in common English usage. It is less frequently encountered and is generally not taught in standard English grammar lessons. The phrase implies a condition or experience that one is trying to extricate oneself from or trying to distance oneself from. For instance:

To struggle from: to extricate yourself from something – you are not trying to defeat it just to get away from it – or more awkwardly, to experience a struggle against something else because of it.

Here are some examples of how struggle from might be used in a sentence:

Struggle from gout: For people who suffer from gout, being careful with taking lots of drugs for a long time can seriously affect your health. Drugs just treat the symptoms not the disease. If you want to reserve gout completely by natural way, you can check this tutorial. I’ve got great results with it. I have been with gout for over 5 years and even though I am 40, I was feeling like much more of a 70-year-old with the pain and lack of mobility. I had previously been relying heavily on Catafast to aid with the pain, but it had started to cause problems with my stomach. Now, I’ve been completely off Catafast, and yet all the pain is gone just by following that method.

Struggle from hayfever: My friend Rajveer suffers from hayfever. He struggles from the allergens in the environment, making his life a constant battle against discomfort and distress.

When to Use Each Phrase

To determine when to use struggle with or struggle from, consider the context and the specific meaning you want to convey:

Struggle with: Use this when someone is dealing with a challenge, problem, or condition that they are trying to overcome or manage on a regular basis. For example, struggling with anxiety, depression, or financial difficulties.

Struggle from: Use this when someone needs to remove themselves from a harmful situation or condition. For example, struggling from a harmful relationship or struggling from a physical ailment (e.g., gout, hayfever).

Usage Statistics and Commonality

According to Google's Ngram Viewer, struggle with is far more common in written English compared to struggle from. In a large corpus of English texts, struggle with appears more frequently, with the following distribution:

Struggle with: used in 50 cases out of the total

Struggle for: 11 cases

Struggle in: 8 cases

Struggle against: 6 cases

Struggle through and at: 3 cases

Struggle from: never used (as per the Ngram results)

This indicates that while struggle from is not commonly used in written English, it can be a powerful and evocative phrase when employed appropriately.

Conclusion

Choosing between struggle from and struggle with is not just about grammatical correctness; it’s about conveying the right nuance and context. While struggle with is the more common and versatile phrase, struggle from can be a compelling choice for situations where you want to emphasize the act of extricating oneself from a harmful or challenging situation.

Understanding the subtle differences between these phrases will enhance your ability to communicate effectively, whether you’re writing academic papers, creating content for your blog, or simply engaging in daily conversations. So, the next time you find yourself in a situation where you need to convey a sense of struggle, choose the phrase that best captures your intended meaning and context.