Divorce mediation may decrease your chance of post-divorce depression
While a divorce may be better for your overall mental health than staying together, it is still a life-changing event that can seriously impact your future health and wellness. Even in ideal circumstances, divorce is still a crisis, it can still drain you emotionally, but your life can be better afterward.
Going through the stages of grief during your divorce is entirely normal. However, feelings of depression and anxiety should not become a chronic issue.
How does chronic depression manifest following a divorce?
Chronic depression develops for various reasons, including financial circumstances, the loss of a partner and chronic stress from a combative partner. Depression can affect your professional and personal life by sapping your energy and draining your interest in the things you used to love. You may also find it difficult to focus or to care for yourself. Chronic depression can manifest for years following a divorce.
How can mediation help prevent long-term issues?
Mediation helps relieve some of the conflict involved with a divorce. Most couples break up because of chronic stress within the marriage. During a divorce, those conflicts can become worse. You cannot guarantee that the divorce decree will protect your interests during a high-conflict divorce. However, in mediation, you work towards a mutually beneficial conclusion. Working together towards a common goal helps reduce the fighting and may provide closure.
If you have children, mediation can help you and your former spouse come together for the best interests of your children. If you have to work together for your children, being on a similar page will help you avoid fighting in the future.