Divorce is rarely an easy transition for anyone. Often divorcing people experience a full range of powerful emotions from anxiety, grief, betrayal to guilt, rejection and anger. Many individuals feel isolated and stigmatized once their marriage is dissolved. People want a safe place to be able to talk about their experience without burdening others or feeling judged.
Divorce support groups are often the answer for people seeking camaraderie with others who can truly understand their situation. Many believe their friends are tired of their story and they’re reluctant to “wear them out” with the details over and over again. They want to know they’re “normal” at a time when they feel “crazy.” A supportive group can be the ideal format to normalize and validate one’s feelings and share information to more easily navigate through this transition in life.
- In divorce support groups, individuals will discover how “normal” their feelings actually are. For instance:
- It is normal to feel a full range of intense feelings such as despair, rage, terror, helplessness, dependency and fear of being alone.
- It is normal to experience emotional numbness and wonder why you’re not feeling anything.
- It is normal to feel that trust is lost and that you will never trust again.
- It is normal to feel continued loyalty towards a partner who has left and no longer loves you.
- It is normal to feel abandoned and left with many unanswered questions.
- It is normal to project your feelings onto your children, become a “superparent” out of guilt or confide in your children inappropriately without respect for their individual grief process.
- It is normal to feel completely overwhelmed, unable to navigate your life alone.
Divorce affects people differently. The radical changes in lifestyle coupled with a shaken sense of identity can prompt the need for extra support. There are thousands of divorce support groups around the country with friendly, caring people who walk alongside each other through one of life’s most difficult experiences. There’s never a need to go through divorce or separation alone.
