Divorce Information

The Impact of Divorce on Families


As a licensed mental health professional, I work with many individuals, couples, and families who are affected by divorce. I see the devastating effects that breakups can have and am dedicated to helping people develop the skills to cope with experiences like divorce.

Major Disruptions

The decision to divorce causes major changes in the lives of all family members. Some upheaval is inevitable. The main trouble areas are:

1. Financial: Money becomes a huge problem for most people. The cost of a divorce is extremely high, and two households cost more than one.

2. Career: Being less focused at work and spending time away from the job for divorce-related appointments takes its toll.

3. Logistics: Running your home is more difficult because you no longer have a partner to help with daily chores.

4. Emotional: Most people have periods of depression, sadness, anger, and fatigue.

Lots of Feelings

People who are experiencing the breakup of their marriage can expect to have a wide variety of feelings. Some call it "the crazy time" and there is even a book about divorce with this title. The following complaints are common:

? Poor concentration

? Nightmares

? Sleep problems

? Fatigue

? Mood swings

? Feeling tense

? Nausea

? Gaining/losing weight

? Feeling nervous

? Somatic complaints

Divorce profoundly affects children. In Surviving the Breakup, author Judith Wallerstein describes the experience of 60 divorcing families. She outlines the following key issues for children of divorcing families:

Fear: Divorce is frightening to children, and they often respond with feelings of anxiety. Children feel more vulnerable after a divorce because their world has become less reliable.

Fear of abandonment: One-third of the children in Wallerstein's study feared that their mother would abandon them.

Confusion: The children in divorcing families become confused about their relationships with their parents. They see their parents' relationship fall apart and sometimes conclude that their own relationship with one or both parents could dissolve, as well.

Sadness and yearning: More than half of the children in the Wallerstein study were openly tearful and sad in response to the losses they experienced. Two-thirds expressed yearning, for example: "We need a daddy. We don't have a daddy."

Worry: In Wallerstein's study, many children expressed concern about one or both of their parents' ability to cope with their lives. They wondered if their parents were emotionally stable and able to make it on their own.Over half of the children expressed deep worries about their mothers. They witnessed their mothers' mood swings and emotional reactions to the events in the family. Some children worried about suicide and accidents.

Feeling rejected: Many children who experience a parent moving out of the home feel rejected by the parent. The parent is usually preoccupied with problems and pays less attention to the child than in the past. Many children take this personally and feel rejected and unlovable.

Loneliness: Since both parents are preoccupied with their problems during the divorce process, they are less able to fulfill their parenting roles with their children. The children may feel like their parents are slipping away from them. If the father has moved away and the mother has gone off to work, the children often feel profound loneliness.

Divided loyalties: The children may (accurately) perceive that the parents are in a battle with each other. The children feel pulled in both directions and may resolve the dilemma by siding with one parent against another.

Anger: Children in divorcing families experience more aggression and anger. It is often directed toward the parents, expressed in tantrums, irritability, resentment, and verbal attacks. Many children see the divorce as a selfish act and feel very resentful about the resulting destruction of their lives.

More than one-third of the children in Judith Wallerstein's study showed acute depressive symptoms such as sleeplessness, restlessness, difficulty in concentrating, deep sighing, feelings of emptiness, compulsive overeating, and various somatic complaints.

The symptoms that many children may have during the divorce process either moderate or disappear within 18 months after the breakup. Of the symptoms that remain, the most common are:

1. Manipulative behavior was reported by about 20% of the teachers of the children in Wallerstein's study.

2. Depression was diagnosed in 25% of the children and adolescents. The symptoms of depression in children include:

? Low self-esteem

? Inability to concentrate

? Sadness

? Mood swings

? Irritability

? Secretiveness

? Isolation

? Self-blame

? Eating disorders

? Behaving perfectly

? Being accident-prone

? Stealing

? Skipping school

? Underachieving at school

? Sexual acting out

You should consider finding a therapist to work with if most of the time you feel:

? Alone

? Depressed

? Numb

? Exhausted

? Isolated

? Hopeless

? Overwhelmed by your children

? Overwhelmed by your feelings

? You are sleeping too much or too little

? Worried

? Anxious

? Afraid

Garrett Coan is a professional therapist,coach and psychotherapist. His two Northern New Jersey office locations are accessible to individuals who reside in Bergen County, Essex County, Passaic County, Rockland County, and Manhattan. He offers online and telephone coaching and counseling services for those who live at a distance. He can be accessed through http://www.creativecounselors.com or 201-303-4303.


MORE RESOURCES:

TMZ.com

Kris Humphries wants TV cameras to watch divorce from Kim Kardashian
Detroit Free Press
Their divorce is in the works. / Matt Sayles/Associated Press By BJ Hammerstein If Kris Humphries gets his way, all the dirty details from his upcoming date in divorce court with reality star Kim Kardashian will play out on TV and on the Web.
Kim Kardashian Divorce Turns Ugly -- Reality TV On TrialTMZ.com
Kim Kardashian divorce trial could be headed to TVWJLA
Kardashian-Humphries Divorce Getting UglierJDJournal.com
MTV.com -OCRegister -Huffington Post
all 656 news articles »


Contactmusic.com

Kris Humphries Wants to Expose Reality TV, and Broadcast Kim Kardashian Divorce
MyFox Chicago
As part of the Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries divorce, the public may get a court-certified answer to the question: How real is reality TV? Humphries claims Kardashian's reality show is so fake, their entire made-for-TV wedding was a sham.
Kardashian-Humphries Divorce Trial Gets UglierKozmedia News
Kris Humphries Talks Marriage to Kim Kardashian: "To Me It Was Real"E! Online
Kim Kardashian - Kim Kardashian Divorce Trial Set To Be Televised?Contactmusic.com
Newstrack India
all 19 news articles »


USA TODAY

DC Council approves bill allowing gay couples to get divorced without living ...
Washington Post
WASHINGTON — The DC Council has approved a bill that would make it easier for gay and lesbian couples who marry in the nation's capital to get divorced. The bill would let gay couples who married in Washington get divorced even if they no longer live ...
DC Council Approves Bill Making Gay Divorce EasierNBC4 Washington (blog)
Column: Politicizing of gay rightsDaily O'Collegian

all 197 news articles »


post-divorce insurance do's and don'ts
MSN Money
If, after your divorce, you married someone else and enjoyed 50 happy years together, your ex would still get the life insurance proceeds if you never bothered to change the beneficiary. Some divorced couples who have children together maintain their ...

and more »


DigitalJournal.com

20-year-old bride divorces 80-year-old groom after one hour
DigitalJournal.com
A 20-year-old Asian bride has divorced her 80-year-old bridegroom after just one hour of marriage. Refusing to disclose the reason for her change of heart, the bride hot footed it back to the judge who married them after one hour alone with the old man ...

and more »


E! Online

Laura Dern and Ben Harper: Getting Divorced or On-Again Happy Couple?
E! Online
Laura Dern and Ben Harper: Getting Divorced or On-Again Happy Couple? For the sake of the kids, at least, it's lovely that Laura Dern and Ben Harper seem to be enjoying a most amicable split. But Dern didn't need to take her future ex-husband to the ...
A year after he 'blindsided' her with divorce papers, Laura Dern and Ben ...Daily Mail
Ben Harper Reconciling With Laura Dern?Huffington Post
Ben Harper & Laura Dern Check Yo'self Before You RECONCILE Yo'self [Update]TMZ.com
INF Daily
all 7 news articles »


MTV UK

Russell Brand to Katy Perry: I Don't Want Your Money
TMZ.com
Russell's lawyer filed final divorce papers Tuesday ... although the judge will make the divorce official on June 30, because there's a 6 month waiting period. Informed sources tell TMZ ... Russell and Katy did NOT have a prenup.
Katy Perry Continues to Party Hard Post-DivorceGather Celebs News Channel
Katy Perry 'Not Ready To Talk About Divorce'MTV UK
Katy Perry 'not ready to discuss Russell Brand divorce'Digital Spy UK
PopCrush -Digital Spy -Mirror.co.uk
all 348 news articles »


A Closer Look at the Problem of Phoenix Divorce and Foreclosure
WebWire (press release)
Clearly there are some factors involved with divorce that cannot be entirely avoided. People who end up facing divorce wonder if there is any good reason we buy houses. PHOENIX, Arizona (Feb 07, 2012) According to Arizona divorce attorneys Singer and ...

and more »


Daily Mail

Denise Welch divorce: Strip karaoke with husband Tim Healy and 2 topless friends
Daily Mail
By Alanah Eriksen, Nadia Mendoza and Georgina Littlejohn While most estranged couples only speak to each other through their lawyers, Denise Welch and Tim Healy seem to have taken a very different approach to divorce. Pictures emerged of the couple ...
Denise Welch divorce announcement was brave, says Coleen NolanDigital Spy UK
Denise Welch - Denise Welch Affair Denied, But Will Big Brother Star Divorce ...Contactmusic.com
Loose Women's Denise Welch to Divorce Tim Healy for ToyboyIBTimes.co.uk

all 121 news articles »


Williams's wife decides not to seek stay of court decision on divorce proceedings
Ottawa Citizen
By Robert Sibley, Ottawa Citizen February 8, 2012 2:07 AM The wife of serial sex killer Russell Williams has decided not to seek a stay of a recent court decision rejecting her legal appeal to prevent media coverage of her intended divorce proceedings.

and more »

Google News

home | site map buy zune zune movies comprar zune
© 2006