Coping With Divorce Anxiety

Coping With Divorce Anxiety

Divorce can be difficult, and even those who want to end their marriage can be plagued with stress and anxiety. Coping with the divorce process requires you to go through a variety of emotions. At the same time that you are dealing with a tremendously personal loss, you are also helping your children with their emotions. In addition, you are dealing with financial issues that can make the future uncertain. During this time of turmoil, you need to learn how to best resolve issues and create a new family norm.

Divorce is Stressful

For most people, divorce is one of the most stressful experiences in their lives. During divorce, many issues can converge, and the result can be overload and anxiety. The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, also called the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), rates various life events in terms of their stress levels. According to the scale, divorce is the second highest stressor, with the death of a spouse as the only event more stressful. The separation from a partner is the third most stressful life event. When you combine several or more stressors, it can make life much more difficult.

What is Divorce Anxiety?

The reaction to the emotional stress of divorce may culminate in divorce anxiety. The intense emotional feelings associated with divorce manifest in a number of ways, both physically and emotionally. Extreme stress, depression, sleeplessness, headaches, loss of appetite, and an overwhelming sense of dread or hopelessness are just some of the ways divorce anxiety shows up. It can present itself even in divorce situations that are not acrimonious. Divorce anxiety makes it difficult to cope with the divorce process and may make it challenging to help children as they work through their own feelings about the divorce.

How to Handle Divorce Anxiety

Divorce anxiety can make it difficult to make decisions or even function on a daily basis. Your other relationships and your work may suffer as anxiety and stress completely consume your thoughts. Anxiety intervention may be necessary. There are several ways to deal with divorce anxiety. Getting professional help from a counselor or therapist is a crucial step in resolving anxiety associated with divorce.

Sometimes it is helpful to spend time away from the stresses of regular life by taking a vacation. Spending time in a different environment can alleviate some of the pressures that have been building up. If you cannot take a vacation, you may find some groups that meet in person or virtually that are dedicated to helping people deal with divorce. It is also helpful to begin to reorganize your life and create new schedules and habits to assist you in moving forward in your life.

It is always best to seek help as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more difficult it can be to work through your feelings. Preemptive counselor visits may give you guidance and provide a structured way to vent your emotions. If you have children, it is often beneficial for them to visit with a therapist or counselor. Children often have similar reactions and may also be feeling stress or anxiety, especially because of the changing family dynamic.

Having a knowledgeable and compassionate divorce attorney may be instrumental in helping to quell feelings of anxiety. Your divorce attorney will handle all of the major issues and assist in resolving disputes. Contact our legal team at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to request a consultation today.

The family law practice group at Arnold & Smith, PLLC includes two Board-Certified Family Law specialists and one Child Welfare Law specialist, as well as several attorneys with many years of family law experience that are committed to providing a powerful voice to individuals facing the often-tumultuous issues in this area of law. The range of issues our family law clients may be facing include pre- and post-nuptial agreements; separation agreements; post-separation support; child support (both temporary and permanent); absolute divorce; divorce from bed and board; military divorce; equitable distribution of assets; child custody (both temporary and permanent); retirement benefits and divorce; alimony and spousal support; adoption; and emancipation. Because this area of the law is usually emotionally charged and complicated, the family law attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC act with the utmost dedication to ensure that each client understands his or her options, and then act to achieve the best result possible for that client’s particular situation.

Source:

https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-holmes-and-rahe-stress-scale-6455916

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