Divorce is an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved. And in many ways, no one wins. But when it comes to adapting to life after divorce, a growing argument suggests that divorce is far more stressful for men than women.
While this may seem hard to believe, there are several reasons or factors that make this a true statement. At the forefront is the striking statistic that roughly 69% of divorces are initiated by women. What this tells us is that many men might be oblivious to the problems in their marriage and are likely to be blindsided by their partner’s decision.
As one can imagine, this creates a physical and emotional shock that few people are prepared to rebound from.
6 Reasons Divorce Is More Stressful for Men
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Men see divorce as a personal failure.
Having been blindsided by their partner’s decision, men haven’t had a chance to consider what their life will be like moving forward, the steps they need to take to start over, and what they need to do right now to seek legal counsel. They are likely paralyzed by the fact that the divorce wasn’t their idea, and they see it as a personal failure that they couldn’t recognize the issues in their relationship sooner so that they could address and possibly fix them before things got to this point. They feel guilty and ashamed, and the reality that they are now alone only makes things worse for them internally.
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Men don’t properly grieve.
The first thing most women do when faced with divorce is seek out professional guidance and support from their closest friends and family. The first thing men do is bottle up their emotions and take a more private route. They’ll withdraw from social interactions, hide their emotions in front of others, and never fully reflect internally on what went wrong, how things could have been different, and their role in the days, weeks, and months that led to their spouse making this decision.
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Men struggle with their identity more than women.
Being married is a huge identifier for many men. When that relationship isn’t there anymore, they struggle with knowing who they are.
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Men face health issues.
When men no longer have their wives to lean on and remind them to take care of themselves, depression, anxiety, anger, weight fluctuations, substance abuse, insomnia, etc., become a major problem and make them more vulnerable to other health issues. As time goes on, these problems only get worse.
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Men jump too quickly into new relationships.
Another interesting divorce statistic most people don’t think about is that 64% of men remarry after their marriage has ended, compared to 52% of women. Many times, this new marriage or relationship happens before a man has fully grieved the end of his previous marriage and let go of any lingering emotional baggage.
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Men typically don’t win custody of their children.
While joint custody is becoming increasingly common, one of the biggest reasons divorce is more stressful for men is that women still win custody most of the time. The marriage itself may not have worked out, but that doesn’t mean the husband loves his children any less. Not getting to spend enough time with them and the reality that they will undoubtedly miss many major milestones in their children’s lives is devastating.
Divorce will always be difficult for everyone involved, but Christman | Daniell Attorneys is committed to supporting and guiding you through the dark days of marital discord and crisis with a unique and refreshing approach to the often turbulent and emotionally stressful disputes arising in the context of divorce, child custody, and other family law cases.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Please call Christman | Daniell for your legal needs today!
Looking for family law services in Collin County, Texas? Christman | Daniell is your premier choice. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the legal landscape, our skilled team is dedicated to helping families navigate complex legal matters. Whether it’s divorce, child custody, or adoption, trust Christman | Daniell to provide compassionate and effective representation for all your family law needs throughout Collin County.
