Though divorce involves both spouses, men and women experience the situation differently. And as some Texas residents discover, this can affect the divorce process itself, as it can contribute to the tension and conflict that are already present.
Mental health and seeking support
The end of a marriage involves a wide range of emotions that can constantly shift. This can sometimes make it harder for the person to make decisions based on logic rather than emotion, which can interfere with an ongoing divorce process. Some of the emotions experienced during the divorce include:
- Anger
- Fear
- Guilt
- Resentment
- Grief
- Disappointment
- Depression
In many cases, when women begin experiencing these intense emotions, they also feel more comfortable seeking help, from friends, family and mental health professionals. And while some men are as comfortable seeking the same type of support, men are usually more uncomfortable with this and might then attempt to go through the divorce process without seeking any assistance.
Financial instability is more often experienced by women
Going from a two-income household to a one-income one can be more disconcerting to women, who still often earn less than their spouses and take on the greater role of caretaker for their children. And while earning less than their spouse might not have been an issue during the marriage, where they also shared other responsibilities, having to run their household from one income and having to take on the shared responsibilities fully can provide additional stress.
Looking towards the future
Both men and women are likely to want to restart their life post-divorce and to seek new connections by dating, but their divorce experiences are different. Men are more likely to meet and marry someone new while women might not go into this next step.
Both spouses go through the stages of the divorce process. However, it has been found that they experience all that it entails very differently, even their divorce-related decisions.
