Divorce can churn up all kinds of emotions, including grief, anger, guilt, and anxiety. These emotions can cause stress and interfere with daily life.

Taking steps to recognize your feelings, build a strong support network, get professional help, and engage in self-care can make it easier to navigate the separation and divorce process.

Grief

Many people experience a wide variety of emotionally charged feelings during separation and divorce. These feelings include grief, loneliness, fear, and anger. They can affect both mental and physical health. For example, anxiety may cause problems with eating and sleeping. Depression can lead to a lack of energy or suicidal thoughts.

Often, these emotions are tied to the loss of a life that once seemed secure. Having a supportive network and engaging in self-care is essential to mitigate these effects. This includes seeking legal and emotional support.

It can also be beneficial to seek support groups sponsored by community centers and religious institutions. These groups provide a face-to-face forum where people in various stages of adjustment to divorce can come together and support one another.

Guilt

Guilt is common after a divorce because it’s associated with feelings of loss and regret. It can also be felt because individuals cannot cope with the changes in their social, living, and financial circumstances accompanying the end of their marriages.

Sometimes, guilt is triggered because of concerns about children or because of feelings that there wasn’t enough drama in a marriage to justify a divorce. In addition, if friends or family members criticize an individual’s decision to get a divorce, this can lead to feelings of guilt. Finding a valuable confidant or legal expert like a divorce attorney Red Bank NJ and seeking support groups that allow healthy discussion is essential. This can help to alleviate guilt-related emotions. You may even learn some helpful coping skills to overcome your guilt and move on with your life.

Anger

Divorce can trigger all kinds of unsettling thoughts and feelings, including anger. Depending on the circumstances, this might be due to feeling wronged by your ex or frustrated at dealing with changed financial and living situations.

It can be easy to focus on the negative aspects of a marriage that fell apart, such as an ex’s infidelity or substance abuse issues. But getting hung up on insignificant details can prevent you from focusing on healing and moving forward.

While it’s OK to feel angry sometimes, holding on to this emotion can be toxic. If you find yourself spending too much time and energy on the anger you’re experiencing, seek out a therapist or a divorce support group to help you process your emotions in healthy ways.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common symptoms that people experience during divorce. This can be caused by sadness, loss, and stress about finances, children, and a new lifestyle.

Depression can also result from feelings of guilt, mainly if there was infidelity or other underlying issues that caused the marriage to end. This can cause a person to feel emotionally drained and can lead to feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts.

It is important to prioritize self-care during this stressful time. This can include getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and engaging in physical activity. It is also essential to seek help if needed. This may involve seeking mental health counseling or joining a support group for those going through divorce.

Anxiety

Divorce can feel like a social death, triggering a range of emotions, including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Reiss states these stages often “intermingle and mix in a chaotic, messy, and conflated manner.”

Children who experience divorce may also struggle with their feelings. They might not understand why their parents are splitting up or how they will spend time with each parent. They might fear being left alone or worry that their parent will get remarried.

In addition, many people do not get enough sleep during divorce. This can lead to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Taking steps to ensure you are getting adequate rest can help. Trying new things and expanding your social network is also a good idea.