Dealing With Divorce & Anxiety
Regardless of whether you are going through the most amicable divorce possible or not, you will likely experience a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the process of separating. That’s completely natural. And one of the primary feelings you will have during this time will be anxiety about certain aspects of your life.
But by understanding what to expect when dealing with divorce and the anxieties it can trigger, you can better prepare yourself for what you’re likely to experience.
To help you with this we wanted to outline five different times anxiety will manifest itself and provide you with some tips to overcome it as best you can.
1. Thinking About The Children
Even in the most amicable of splits, your children (if you have them) will be a huge part of the whole process. As a result, it is natural to feel some anxiety around them, worry about how the whole situation is affecting them and how it will impact them going forward.
Remember that persisting with an unhealthy marriage isn’t good for anyone – especially your children. While the decision to divorce might not have been easy, remind yourself that it will be for the best and that it’s never worth staying together just for the sake of the children.
With open communication and a mutual respect for one another, you and your ex-partner can help your children come to terms with the process and what it will mean for the family dynamic in the future.
2. Losing Your In-Laws
Despite all the stereotypes about in-laws, chances are you’ve become close with yours over time. Naturally, you might think that by getting a divorce you will also lose these important people from your life.
But that doesn’t need to be the case. Even if you and your former partner don’t continue to see eye to eye after you divorce, there is still hope that it won’t be like that with your in-laws.
You have nurtured a relationship with them in your own right. That is to be savoured. Many couples who get divorced continue to have fantastic relationships with each other’s parents, for their own health, happiness and especially for the health and happiness of the grandparent / children dynamic that should always be protected.
3. Your Parents & Your Former Partner
Likewise, your former partner may express that they would like to continue to have a close relationship with your parents. There is no reason why this should fill you with anxiety or that you should try to prevent it from happening.
At the end of the day, they are your parents, and it would take something quite extraordinary for them to side with your former partner over you going forward. Providing all parties want it, allow them to have that relationship.
4. Mutual Friendships
Over the years, you will have made many friendships, some of which will be joint friendships with your former partner. You know the friends we’re talking about, the ones you tend to only see as a couple.
These friendships can be a source of anxiety when a divorce is happening. It’s natural for you to think that such friends might side with your former partner. The reality though, is that these friends will likely remain loyal to you both. This allows you both to continue to enjoy friendships with these people, despite the fact the two of you are no longer together.
5. Keeping The Pets
Finally, if you’re a pet owner, divorce can lead to anxiety over who will get to keep the animals you’ve both grown to love.
If the pet was yours before the relationship, then it makes sense that you will keep it afterwards (and vice-versa). But if you’ve got pets during your marriage, the decision can be a little more difficult.
Nevertheless, don’t let it make you feel anxious. The best way to decide who will keep a pet is to weigh up the merits on both sides, including your children’s needs.
If you have more questions about this topic or any other legal issues arising on divorce or separation, please do get in touch as we are always happy to help. You can call us on 0203 488 4475 or email contact@thedivorcesurgery.co.
Author Name: Editor
Published content by The Divorce Surgery Editorial Team.
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