Acceptance and awareness
The first stage is the most difficult. The girl plunges into a state of shock and refuses to believe that the marriage has broken up. The following appear in turn:
- anger;
- anger;
- aggression;
- hatred.
The stage is characterized by attempts to restore communication, then the longest stage begins - immersion in depression. Only in the last place does acceptance come.
Advice! Whatever feelings a woman experiences, she must accept them and give herself time to calm down. The more one resists emotions, the longer the stage will be.
How to overcome depression after divorce?
No matter how severe the mental pain, it must be dealt with. If it comes to depression, then you need the support of family and friends. A conversation with a psychologist is advisable.
You can’t hush up your problems and be alone; you need to talk it out. But more often, women do not turn to professionals for help, but bare their souls to their friends. Unfortunately, their advice is not always practical, but on the contrary only makes the situation worse.
During depression, a woman is tormented by doubts that the marriage broke down through her fault, that something is wrong with her. She realizes that she could not save her family. If she still has feelings, then the girl is ready to forgive even her lover’s betrayal, as long as he returns. But you shouldn't do this.
To survive the betrayal of a lover, you need to look for happiness in simple things, for example:
- dancing;
- sports;
- drawing;
- embroidery, knitting;
- reading books;
- watching movies;
- communicating with friends and loved ones;
- children (if any).
Under no circumstances should you feel sorry for yourself or pretend to be a victim. This will only worsen the emotional state, and it will not be possible to return the beloved. It is necessary to change the situation and avoid communication with your ex. Each meeting with a beloved man is another shock to the body, which slows down mental healing.
Mental and physical health are closely related, so you need to eat right, walk in the fresh air and adhere to healthy sleep. Energy is important to the body.
An outburst of negativity and aggression
Don't suppress aggression. How to survive a divorce as a pregnant woman and maintain peace of mind:
- learn to express anger differently;
- restrain yourself from negative outbursts towards your ex-lover;
- take care of yourself and the health of your unborn baby.
But any woman going through a divorce goes through a stage of aggression. However, it arises where there is no way out for grief. It’s better to relax, let yourself cry as much as you like, vent to your friends, and experience the suffering. The more it is suppressed, the more anger arises.
How do men cope with divorce?
Men, despite their outward emotional coldness, experience the dissolution of a marriage no less tragically. Depression after a divorce in men is accompanied by a loss of social significance.
This is due to related factors:
- the status of the head of the family disappears, especially if the wife became the initiator;
- household supplies are lost;
- feelings of affection or love for your wife interfere;
- the connection with the child or children becomes less strong, especially if mom speaks badly about dad;
- feeling of guilt for the inability to return and restore the relationship.
In addition, vices appear that were not noticeable in the family, since status forced them to restrain harmful inclinations.
READ How to understand that it’s time to divorce your husband: is it worth leaving a man
Lean towards the female gender
The manifestation of attention varies in two directions. First, the man becomes a ladies' man. There are many women around him, but behind his love of love there is usually a desire to show that everything is over with his wife, although the feelings remain. The second option is obsessive attention to the opposite sex. It is expressed by constant conversations, calls and messages to friends asking them to listen to the story of mental torment.
In both cases, the plan to get out of depression fails, since the man is not mentally ready to replace his wife with another woman quickly. Because of this, using third parties in relationships is inappropriate.
Cravings for alcohol and drugs
Toxic addiction affects 67% of men going through a divorce. However, age does not affect the degree of predisposition.
Alcoholism and drug addiction are temporary solutions that provide short-term relief. In addition, addiction causes consequences - deprivation of parental rights, the need to sell real estate or valuables, danger to life due to an insane state. You can avoid negative consequences with the help of willpower and a professional psychologist.
Home Quirk
This type of personality is easy to identify before a divorce occurs. These are men who do not strive to support their family or help a woman around the house. The list of daily activities includes entertainment: rest, sleep, watching TV, computer games, reading abstract literature. Worries about the divorce do not make adjustments to everyday life, but they make you think about the issue of securing the future. The thought of having to find a job is frightening, driving you into even greater confusion.
What should they do
A doctor will help a man understand how to cope with prolonged depression that began after receiving a divorce. During the conversation, he will analyze the true motives of the depressed state and determine the need to take medications. Often physical activity and healthy sleep help to get out of a state of misunderstanding of reality. If, due to increased anxiety, the latter cannot be accomplished, then the specialist will write a prescription for the purchase of medicine.
READ The main reasons for divorce in Russia: what psychologists say
In such conditions, it is important not to experiment with your own body, so as not to cause even greater harm to the psyche.
Presence in the present
Whether a woman experiences a divorce on her own initiative or at the decision of a man, she is making a global mistake - she is in the past.
- Honeymoon in a wonderful place, tender feelings.
- Dates, night walks, trips to a restaurant.
- Quarrels, scandals, moving to parents.
- Traveling together, happy moments.
But all this is already behind us, we need to put an end to the past - it no longer exists. It’s hard to return to the present, to be present in it. But only life in the “here and now” format will help you survive a difficult life situation.
Advice! Divorce hurts both partners, no matter who initiated it. The main thing is to forgive yourself and learn to move on.
After Divorce: Feeling Lost
Why are so many people afraid of being left without a partner? Because it's lonely at night? Because all friends are dating someone? Because you truly loved your ex and can't imagine how to live without him? Or because in our society it is customary for an adult to be in a relationship, and if he does not fit into the mold, then he is an eccentric or a loser?
Yes, many people share this opinion. And what? I'm really enjoying life now. It took me a long time to learn this, but now I am my own boss.
Thinking about this book, I tried to compare the breakup of a relationship with everything - an earthquake, a hurricane, a rainstorm, a terrible accident. And then it dawned on me: the closest analogy to the consequences of a breakup is being lost. You are lost and don’t know where to go next, who to turn to and how to find your way back.
When I was seven, I went with my parents to a huge department store. This makes any child's eyes widen, and, of course, I fell behind my parents, staring at something shiny. If this happened to you too, I’m sure that this incident will be etched in your memory forever.
You turn around, and mom and dad are already gone. My heart is pounding, my thoughts are racing, my eyes are wide open with horror. I rushed back and forth, looking for my parents in the crowd. It seemed like the end of the world had come. Where are they? Panic gave way to tears. I tossed around for what seemed like an eternity. Then dad, of course, found me, and the world became the same.
A plea for help
Every third woman after a divorce puts on the mask of being strong and independent. But behind this bravado lies the pain of loss. The longer the girl hides it, the harder it will be to return to normal life. Playing the role of a sufferer, a mother-heroine is not an option. If a woman needs help, she shouldn't be afraid to ask for it.
Photo by Tandem X Visuals on Unsplash
Close friends will provide support, a psychologist will help resolve internal contradictions. Only by opening up to others can you free yourself from painful experiences after divorce.
What does divorce give?
Divorce confronts a person with the need to change the usual conditions in everyday life and moral aspects. To define the changes more specifically, let's make a list:
- Changing the routine of life. The usual way of life is destroyed, so it is necessary to review and reorganize daily procedures. This is a painful and difficult aspect for both sexes, but the man is less adapted. Despite the unusual nature of the situation, a properly organized lifestyle will help you return to an active position in life, so try to quickly adapt to new conditions.
- Alienation with children. Regardless of who they are left with, each parent understands the wrongness of what is happening from the child’s point of view. Because of your own stress, it is difficult to understand the depressive state of your child or predict the thoughts of a teenager. Both parents must maintain neutrality and not speak harshly to each other in front of the child.
- Intrusive questions regarding philosophy. After a divorce, both spouses often plunge into a state of apathy. At the same time, obsessive thoughts come to mind. They touch on both the everyday aspect (“Did I do everything right?”, “Was it possible to save the relationship?”) and the philosophical (“What is the meaning of life?”, “What to do next?”). Once you realize that such a condition exists, seek help quickly. Questions asked mentally have no answers, but they drive you into depression.
READ What should a child do if his parents are getting divorced?
Practicing psychologists say that depression after divorce is observed in both men and women. But even with characteristic and identical signs, you have to get out of the condition in different ways.
What's prohibited
- Every fourth woman after a divorce goes to extremes and refuses to lead a normal life. Under no circumstances should you take antidepressants without a doctor's prescription, even if the situation seems hopeless.
- A separate topic is alcohol and nicotine. This is not a solution to the problem, but a way to forget that does not work. A support group for women experiencing divorce will help much more than a couple of bottles at the bar.
- There is no need to give up your usual surroundings. Locking yourself in an apartment, spending whole days reminiscing about your ex-husband is not the best option.
Advice! Psychologists insist that it is necessary to solve mental problems. It is easier to survive a divorce from your husband than to treat prolonged depression.
The desire to get into a new relationship seems tempting, but it will lead to disappointment. The feelings will quickly subside, the woman will compare the new guy with her ex-husband, which will lead to another scandal. Such relationships are doomed to failure.
How to survive a divorce: effective and efficient advice from psychologists
So, it was found out what men and women feel after a divorce. Not everyone can cope with the psychological stress and depressive states described above and characteristic of divorce on their own. But if problems are identified, then there are ways to solve them. Of course, negative emotions pass over time, and the river of life enters a new channel, but often this process takes a lot of time or proceeds with great intensity and one has to expend a lot of effort and psychological resources to survive it, which in the modern rhythm of life are already in short supply. constant shortage.
When raising children and building a career, people simply do not have the right to leave their emotional experiences unattended. To avoid serious consequences, you need to start adjusting your state of mind as soon as possible. Naturally, a professional psychologist is an excellent assistant in the fight for peace of mind, whose advice helps normalize your personal life. But saving drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves, so you need to gather your will into a fist, program yourself for a happy life and firmly follow this attitude, without retreating or succumbing to weakness. What a person will become after going through a divorce, what place he will take in life, whether he will find his other half and whether he will protect himself from the mistakes of the past, depends only on himself.
And if you have already acquired this goal, the advice of psychologists, thanks to which you can more easily respond to this difficult life situation and correctly build new relationships, will be simply irreplaceable.
Get rid of negative emotions
To do this, you should follow a simple rule - you cannot keep emotions in yourself and accumulate them. Throw them out as they come - cry, get angry, break dishes... The more experiences you throw out, the less negative emotions will remain inside. Do not isolate yourself, preferring solitude and constantly being within four walls. But you shouldn’t feel too sorry for yourself either. After throwing out the negativity, think about the good and even joke about the situation. Communicate with friends and loved ones, do not hesitate to share your experiences. They will understand and support you, believe me. Moreover, your family can give you good advice. But you don’t need to constantly remember the past; in response to annoying questions from your friends (and there will probably be many of them), say that you are not ready to discuss this topic.
Always find something interesting to do. Go to the cinema, theater, fill your life with joyful impressions and moments that will help you take your mind off negative thoughts. But you shouldn’t rush to the other extreme. Avoid noisy parties, clubs and wild feasts. At first glance, it seems that by plunging headlong into fun, you can take your mind off thoughts about divorce. Yes, at first it will be like this, but not for long, then the depression will resume with renewed vigor.
There is no place for revenge - let go of your memories
Often during the process of divorce and immediately after it, former spouses have a desire to blame their former half for all the troubles and take revenge by saying a bunch of nasty things and/or revealing all her shortcomings (even intimate moments) to mutual friends. Sometimes this is done unconsciously, but you still shouldn’t stoop to rudeness. Revenge did not bring anything good to anyone. Keep yourself at a decent level. To alleviate the condition, you need to let go of the failed marriage, try to forget all the grievances, and then it will be much easier to survive the divorce.
Don't look for meetings with your ex/ex. The reaction when you really want to express everything that you think about them, to find out what they are like without you, is understandable. But, firstly, before the divorce, you most likely already managed to say everything; you should not turn into an inadequate person. Secondly, in the first time after breaking up, you will not be able to communicate smoothly, without a flurry of emotions, which is fraught with ordinary scandals that will bring nothing but the loss of nerve cells.
If you have common children, then you don’t need to blame yourself and your spouse for the fact that they will grow up in an incomplete family: it’s not your fault. But children really need attention now, since their parents’ divorce is extremely stressful for them. Better direct your energy in this direction.
Don't look for a replacement, look for yourself
Many people think that having an affair soon after a breakup protects them from loneliness. This is an incorrect conclusion. You should not immediately enter into a new relationship. They will not help you forget your last marriage. On the contrary, you will constantly remember him and compare, which will negatively affect both you and the other person. Such relationships are doomed to inevitable failure, which as a result will only worsen your unbalanced state and cause pain to the other. Short novels and affairs will also not bring anything fruitful. Wait for the moment when your state of mind stabilizes and the past stops traumatizing your soul.
Never try to find an outlet in alcohol. Alcohol does not lift your mood, it enhances the existing one. If you are depressed, alcohol will only make it worse. The short-term feeling of euphoria after taking a large dose of alcohol when sobering up will be replaced by a new attack of hopelessness, and coupled with a hangover will only worsen the condition. Don’t forget that after a divorce, both a woman and a man have a real chance of simply becoming an alcoholic, avoid alcohol, and don’t destroy yourself.
The way out of a serious condition can be healthy sleep. He cures all diseases, including mental ones. In the early post-divorce period, it is especially important to get enough sleep and restore peace of mind. A good book or a walk before bed will help you fall asleep quickly and without unnecessary thinking. Consult your doctor, he will recommend a mild, non-addictive sleeping pill.
New life is a good reason for joy
Do not forget that, having ended an old relationship, a person steps into a new life full of joyful moments and surprises. By the way, you can find your advantages in any position. Time does not stand still. In the new world that you are ready to step into, there will also be ups and downs. Reflect on the mistakes of the past, step forward wiser and renewed. Rethink your views, realize your true needs and desires, set new goals for yourself. In order to quickly get rid of the past, find new hobbies and interests, expand your circle of friends.
The main thing is to remember: everything has its time. Most people, after a short time after a divorce, want to return their former half, to forgive her even strong insults. Don't be led by emotions. Give yourself some time to cool down. If the desire to return your spouse does not go away after six months, then you can try to renew the relationship. Otherwise, the separation will only be for the good.
Immediately after the divorce, change the situation and take active steps. Remodel, start renovations. The main thing is not to fall into melancholy.
Think about the fact that now you can do whatever you want. Be sure to have fun and do any (safe) thing that you weren't allowed to do before the divorce. This will distract you and give you the opportunity to experience one of the benefits of freedom. Both men and women should take care of their appearance. External changes will entail both an improvement in the internal state and the emergence of a feeling of moral satisfaction. In addition, you will need an attractive appearance when, after going through a divorce, you begin searching for your other half.