When a Long Island area couple gets married, they assume it will be forever. Unfortunately, life happens, and many marriages do not last forever. Those who are going through a divorce know it is both emotionally and financially traumatic. But it may be surprising that, much like the stages of grief, there are emotional stages of a divorce.
Denial
The first emotional stage of a divorce is denial. Denial is a good initial coping mechanism as it allows a person to not have to feel emotionally overwhelmed by the news of a divorce.
Anger
Once a person is able to face that they are actually going to get a divorce, they naturally move into this stage where they find fault with everything about their ex. During the anger phase, a person goes through all the things that make them mad about their ex. Whether it be their way of spending too much money, their lack of doing any romantic gestures, or their parents, a person will probably find plenty of things to make them angry.
Bargaining
In this stage a person may make the attempt to repair and undo any damage they have done. They may try and negotiate with their ex or think about all the good things about them. If a person is the one who served the divorce papers this is the stage where they consider whether they made a good decision or a mistake. If they are the spouse who was left this is the stage where they will pursue their spouse and want them back at all costs.
Depression
In this stage a person can be hit with debilitating sadness about their divorce. Therapy, counseling and expert advice can help a person through this tough stage.
Acceptance
The final emotional stage of a divorce is where a person has moved through the adversity and is ready to move on with their life. A person may still feel angry and sad about their divorce, but they have accepted the situation and they are able to live life again.
