Divorce & PTSD

Divorce is fraught with drama. Tears, anger, pettiness, and grudges are part of any typical divorce process, but there are those who endure too much stress or trauma during the process and try desperately to manage it. The outcome is increasingly being identified as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

This disorder goes beyond the expected depression, which is bad enough. PTSD is associated more with those who have experienced war and all its violence. Divorces surrounded by abuse, shock, and trauma can cause exactly the same symptoms as those exposed to the stress of the wartime experience. Many married individuals have suffered years of abuse, and divorce takes an abundance of courage for those individuals.

Identifying if you are caught in the middle of the disorder is the beginning of working towards healing. If you have physiological reactions (shaking uncontrollably, symptoms of panic); flashbacks of the incident; nightmares associated with the marriage or the divorce; inability to eat and sleep; avoiding anything to do with the incident, these are all associated with PTSD and you should seek therapy.

Talking with an expert about the shock, the abuse, the feelings, will often be accompanied by some medicines to help with symptoms. Many survivors of this disorder also tout the benefits of yoga and meditation combined with therapy and medication.

What you think, feel, and experience during and after your divorce is incredibly important. Do not feel weak. Divorce can be one of the most traumatic experiences a person contends with in life. Divorce means something broke, something you can’t repair. Never be ashamed to admit the shock and pain of such a severance has you feeling panicked, fearful.

Anything experienced during an abusive or highly stressful situation is met with sympathy and understanding by our attorneys, but Hickey & Hull will find the best way to represent you during a divorce so that your rights and interests are protected. It’s about to get better. We’re here to help.