Stages Of Divorce

Kathleen O’Connell Corcoran article Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Divorce explains in great detail the effects, stages, and reactions for divorce. She also explains the effects and reactions that are typical for women, men, and the child/ren of the parents getting divorced. The article begins with the details of how common divorce really is and the statistics of divorce and the statistics for children who have divorced parents and parents who were not married. The United States has the highest divorce rate at fifty percent of all marriages ending in divorce and sixty-seven percent of all second marriages ending in divorce. Also fifty percent of children are the children of divorced parents and another twenty-eight percent of children …show more content…
The initiator may experience fear, relief, distance, impatience, resentment, doubt and/or guilt. While the other party may feel shock, betrayal, loss of control, victimization, decreased self-esteem, insecurity, anger, and/or a desire to reconcile. Both parties are likely to seek vengeance on one another. Corcoran lays out six different stages of divorce as well as the time framed they may be present. The first is disillusionment of one party which usually occurs a couple years before the feeling of wanted a divorce is verbalized. This stages is when resentments are stored, arguments may come about, problems are present but not acknowledged, and when one party may be considering the pros and cons of divorce. The second stage is expressing dissatisfaction which usually occurs a few months to a year before beginning the legal process. In this stage one party may express unhappiness to the other, considering counseling, or try one last time to save the marriage. The third stage is deciding to divorce, this process usually begins a few months before starting the legal process. In this stage emotional distance is created, affairs are more likely to occur, and the party that didn’t not initiate the divorce starts stage one. This is also the stage where a lot of feelings for resentments, anger, sadness, guilt, and anxiety for what the future holds will occur. The fourth stage is acting on the decision and this is when the legal process is started. This is the stage when physical as well as emotional separation occurs and parents usually tell the child/ren and go public with their decision. This is also when many family members and friends choose sides and feelings of panic, fear, shame, guilt, and blame are brought about. The fifth stage is growing acceptance and this occurs all throughout the legal process. Both parties begin to adjust,