Managing Your Emotional Responses To Your Divorce

A divorce is an emotional event. Do not deny your feelings to yourself – bottling up your emotions only makes them more difficult to manage. Instead, recognize the emotions you experience and find ways to manage and express them in healthy ways.

Below are some of the common emotions individuals feel during the divorce process and in the weeks and months that follow.

Anger

It is natural to be angry about your divorce. Maybe you are angry at how your spouse treated you during your marriage, or how he or she treated you as you worked toward your divorce settlement. Maybe you are angry about the court’s decisions for your divorce settlement or that you got divorced at all. No matter what about your divorce makes you angry, a few ways to take control of your anger include:

• Writing about it in a journal or in letters that you do not send;
• Talking about it with a close friend or a counselor;
• Screaming into a pillow;
• Recognizing the little things in life that trigger your anger and finding ways to avoid or change them; and
• Choosing your battles. If you often face difficulties that make you angry, actively think about which ones are worth your emotional energy and which should be ignored or let go.

Anxiety

If you suffer from an anxiety disorder because of your divorce, a mental healthcare professional can help you with psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication. Anxiety symptoms include:

• Restlessness;
• Fatigue;
• Hypervigilance; and
• Excessive fear or worry.

Jealousy and Resentment

Maybe you resent your former partner for how your assets were divided in the divorce or you are jealous of his or her new lifestyle. Talking to a mental healthcare professional can help you curb your feelings of jealousy and resentment after a divorce. Other strategies include:

• Reminding yourself why you divorced him or her;
• Making positive changes in your life, like starting a workout regimen; and
• Avoiding comparisons. Do not compare yourself to your former partner or his or her new partner – every individual and relationship is unique.

Depression

It is not uncommon to become depressed after completing a divorce. Getting divorced is a huge life change, and as you work through yours and begin to adjust to your new single lifestyle, the realities of ending your marriage can creep into your mind and push you into depression.

Depression symptoms include:

• Fatigue;
• Irritability;
• Insomnia or sleeping too much; and
• A loss of interest in activities the individual once enjoyed.

If you experience depression symptoms, seek help from a mental healthcare professional. Depression is treatable with psychotherapy and medication.

Work with an Experienced Tampa Divorce Lawyer

Divorce is rarely an easy process. Everybody expresses and processes his or her emotions surrounding divorce differently, and for some, these emotions do not arise until after the divorce is finalized. In fact, you might not feel a certain way about your divorce for months or even years after it is completed, and there is nothing wrong with that. We all take time to heal emotionally, which can be easier when you have an experienced Tampa divorce lawyer acting as your advocate. To discuss your case in greater detail, contact our team at Bubley & Bubley, P.A. today to schedule your initial consultation in our office.

Resource:

webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1