Divorce will have a tremendous impact on your social and emotional lives, which will continue long after you are legally divorced. These impacts include a lack of companionship, a sense of loss, and ultimately, a return to the dating scene.
Lack of companionship. Even if your relationship is stormy, you are probably still accustomed to having your spouse around. You may, at times, be able to temporarily put aside your problems and support each other in times of mutual adversity (such as when dealing with a death in the family, the illness of a child, or severe storm damage to your home). You may also feel a little more secure at night, not being alone in the house. Even if your marriage is miserable, you will still notice at least some emptiness, loneliness, or solitude after the divorce. You may simply miss having another person around.
Grief. Divorce may be viewed as the death of a marriage, or at least, the funeral ceremony for the death of a marriage. Like the death of anyone or anything you have been close to, you will feel a sense of loss. This aspect can take you through all of the normal feelings associated with grief, such as guilt, anger, denial, and acceptance. You will get angry and frustrated over the years you have wasted.You will feel guilty because you failed to make the marriage work.You will find yourself saying, “I can’t believe this is happening to me.” For months or even years, you will spend time thinking about your marriage. It can be extremely difficult to put it all behind you and get on with your life.
The singles’ scene—dating. After divorce, your social life will change. If you want to avoid solitary evenings watching TV, you will find yourself trying to get back into the singles’ scene. This will probably involve a change in friends, as well as a change in lifestyle. First, you may find that your current friends, who might all be married, no longer find that you, as a single person, fit in with their circle. Gradually, or even quickly, you are dropped from their guest list. Now you have to start making an effort to meet single people at work, going out on the town, and even dating. This experience can be very frightening, tiring, and frustrating after years of being away from this lifestyle. It can also be very difficult if you have custody of your children. On the other hand due to a great impact on our social and emotional lives, it can be an exciting and thrilling adventure.
