Understanding Post Divorce Trauma | How To Cope

According to the United States Census, 827,261 marriages ended in divorce in one year (2019) alone. In fact, according to the overall statistics the global divorce rate has increased by approximately 250% since the 1960s.

We often talk about how beautiful marriages are and how wonderful it is to see two souls unite. Along with that, we have all grown to understand the importance of divorce as well. If you people are not able to lead a happy life together, parting ways can make their lives better.

However, divorce is never easy and when you have lived with each other for a really long time it becomes even more difficult. I say so because there are children and other family members who will be impacted by your divorce.

Divorce is considered one of the most emotionally challenging experiences one can go through. So many people have been traumatized because of the kind of divorce they went through and the emotional turmoil they had to face.

Today we are going to talk about exactly this, Divorce Trauma! Let’s understand divorce trauma and how to recover from divorce trauma…

What Is Post Divorce Trauma?

Well, divorce trauma is not a clinical diagnosis but many experts have claimed the existence of traumatic symptoms caused by divorce. According to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5), divorce doesn’t meet the criteria of a traumatizing condition.

However, it can be considered a causing factor in the development of extreme emotional distress leading to a traumatic experience. Therefore, divorce trauma may on have an official diagnosis but its existence is certain for sure.

The emotional distress that divorce brings in can traumatize an individual, this can then lead to divorce trauma. Now, not all people who go through a divorce are traumatized. Divorce trauma affects those people who experience emotional distress a lot more than their threshold during their divorce.

Also read: Psychological Effects Of Divorce On Children | How to Help Kids Cope With Divorce

Common Signs Of Post Divorce Trauma

• Changes in weight and appetite
• Developmental regression
• Social withdrawal
• Separation anxiety
• Uncontrolled emotional outburst
• Nightmares
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Avoidant behavior
• Sudden changes in behavior

Divorce Trauma: Is It Grief Or Trauma?

Well, while going through a divorce or after a divorce you can either suffer from grief or trauma. However, some people have claimed to experience a combination of both grief and trauma, known as traumatic grief.

Grief is experienced when you have a sense of losing something very precious. Post-divorce grief is very common and fades away as time passes by unless it matures into prolonged grief. Divorce can make you feel like you’ve lost someone/something so close to your heart and getting them back in your life is not an option.

Trauma on the other hand is experienced when you start fearing the time that we are filled with emotional distress. Even thinking about spending another minute in emotionally challenging times gives you a hard time.

Grief is when you can recall events without any fear but longingness and trauma is when you simply can’t even think of those days at all. Divorce can lead to both grief and trauma. Both these conditions require some attention so that they don’t manifest into severe mental health conditions.

Also Read: How Men’s Mental Health Is Impacted After Divorce?

How To Heal From Divorce Trauma?

Divorce can be emotionally challenging and traumatizing. It is very important to take care of your mental health and emotional well-being while going through a divorce. Divorce trauma is very common but not many people really allow themselves to process the trauma properly, therefore end up suffering and feeling miserable.

Are you dealing with divorce trauma? It’s never too late to start focusing on yourself and adopt a healing path.

Here are some effective ways to heal and recover from divorce trauma;

• Always try to choose a non-adversarial and non-traumatizing divorce process
• Never miss out on your children. Amidst a divorce, children need more attention, love, and care than usual
• Be honest with yourself and your loved ones. You need to accept & acknowledge your feelings
• Join some divorce support groups so that you can learn from other’s experiences and not make things even worse
• Have a strong support system. In times like divorce, a good support system can really make things easy and comfortable for you
• Do not shy away from getting professional help. If you are feeling like your challenges are too much to handle, seek help before things get worse
• You can also consider hiring a divorce coach. They can foresee your challenges and prepare you well to face them all
• Focus on self-care. Never ignore your well-being, and engage in some self-care activities so that you don’t burn out
• Learn some calming strategies and relaxation techniques so that you can keep yourself calm through stressful situations.

Also read: 6 Best Online Divorce Counseling Services

That’s All Folks!

I hope you found this blog about divorce trauma helpful, interesting, and informative. Do share this blog with your friends and family so that no one suffers from divorce trauma alone & knows how to heal from divorce trauma.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.