Divorce is a traumatic life event that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed. If you are struggling to cope with the aftermath of your divorce, you may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a condition that can develop after experiencing a life-threatening event. Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and hypervigilance. In this blog post, we will discuss how to recover from PTSD while dealing with traumatic life events such as divorce.
Contents
About PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety condition that occurs when people don’t recover quickly enough after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. The ailment may last months or years, with reminders of the trauma accompanied by strong emotional and physical responses as triggers.
Fear is a normal feeling to experience during and after traumatic events. Fear activates many split-second adjustments in the body to assist defend against harm or avoiding it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a standard reaction meant to preserve a person from injury. Almost everyone will have a unique set of reactions following trauma, but the majority of individuals recover naturally from primary symptoms. People who suffer from PTSD may feel stressed or nervous even when they are not under threat.
Handling Divorce
No matter who is involved, divorce is a traumatic and difficult event. Whether the marriage included ten children or no children at all, a mansion or no shared property, divorce permanently separates two lives that were intended to join together as one, with emotional repercussions. While healthy divorces might carry some emotional baggage with them, they can induce PTSD as well as a result of a divorce.
Symptoms Of PTSD After Divorce
Here are some of the signs of post-divorce trauma syndrome (PTSD):
- Withdrawal From Social Gatherings: The person suffering from PTSD would rather avoid social situations and will frequently miss a party or other gathering with large numbers of people.
- Rage And fury: The individual will almost certainly experience furious outbursts or emotional reactions on the fly. Mood swings are typical, but they’re more likely to manifest negative feelings.
- Sweating And Irregular Heartbeats: A racing heart is two of the most common symptoms among people who have been through a divorce. This might be caused by a current memory of a prior tragedy.
- Replay Of Past: The victim is unable to escape the agony. As a result, they continuously replay the event in their mind. They are most likely not doing it by force of will, and they have no control over it.
- Sleep Problems: The victim generally has restless sleep. They are not calm in their minds, making it difficult for them to have a restful night’s sleep with so much mayhem going on in their minds.
- Lack Of Attention: They can’t focus on anything because they remain mentally disturbed. They are not able to put their head to any task efficiently.
- Grief That Goes On And On: Grief is a difficult feeling to handle, but when it lingers for long, this is an indication of a traumatic divorce. Those who are exposed to such traumas may be unable to let go of their emotions.
- Bad Dreams: Because the victim is constantly thinking about the terrible experience, previous relationship trauma can result in unpleasant dreams and night terrors.
- Avoidance Of Tragedy: They don’t have the power to confront their dread yet, since they haven’t healed. Therefore, they will avoid anything that serves as a reminder of the tragedy.
Consequences
Divorce is a traumatic phase that surely gives rise to PTSD. This disorder affects both adults and children. The way how it affects both age groups is different. The justification is discussed below in detail.
In Adults
- Adults who are going through a divorce may have PTSD as a result of the loss of their partner. This appears to be more common in high-conflict and lengthy divorces, as both spouses are more prone to emotional anguish, stress, and anxiety as a consequence of these types of divorces. Adults can feel overwhelmed enough to merit a PTSD diagnosis as a result of severe emotions.
- Divorce and betrayal have also been linked to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because both situations result in a profound loss of trust in someone who was previously regarded as a partner, PTSD is most likely to occur. Patients may experience flashbacks to the day they were told their spouse was leaving or the day they found out their spouse had an affair, and it might be difficult for them to move on from these occasions.
PTSD has spread across all walks of life and can affect most people who are involved with a divorce. Divorce is a traumatic experience, regardless of who requests it, and it can have long-term and significant consequences for both parties.
In Children
Children may be particularly susceptible to suffering from PTSD following a divorce, especially if it was lengthy, or rife with shouting.
- While children are unaware of the intricate dynamics of marital relationships, the dissolution of marriage makes them think that their relationship with their parents is on the verge of end. After all, if mom and dad don’t love each other anymore, why would they love their kids?
- While adults can immediately perceive the difference between these kinds of connections, kids’ minds aren’t as readily able to distinguish between them. Divorce might cause a lot of terror in youngsters.
- Children whose parents divorce are more prone to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and exhibit a variety of behavioral and sleeping changes. They may become quiet and distant from one or both parents. Children may become increasingly hostile, angry, and defensive over time. They may continually start fights with one or both parents.
- Children may take on the role of one parent, who is meeker than the other, or the more aggressive parent, and act out the roles that have become their new normal. Children frequently are unable to communicate with their parents precisely what they are going through. It is up to parents to pay attention to any behavioral, communication, or mood changes and take action.
Children’s stability is important to their sense of equilibrium, and they require somewhere safe to go when life becomes perplexing, overwhelming, or dangerous. If a home with their mother or father does not provide that stability, children may easily develop symptoms of PTSD.
Solutions
Fortunately, there are solutions available to heal from PTSD while coping with the traumatic phase of life, divorce. The different types of remedies are explained below:
Therapy
PTSD is treatable. Some people respond well to talk therapy and other cognitive therapy techniques, while others may require medication in addition to therapy. To get a full and comprehensive recovery, others will need to incorporate more holistic treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle changes, as well as meditation.
Trauma therapy is frequently an important component of PTSD recovery. While cognitive therapies are vital, trauma treatments can aid in the untangling of some of the neural knots caused by trauma. Trauma treatments range from Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing to auditory therapy and light treatment, both of which have the potential to rewire damaged neural connections as a result of trauma. These therapies are particularly beneficial for individuals who want a full-scale and dramatic cure for their problems.
Self Help Tips
Listed below are some of the suggestions and recommendations for you to deal with PTSD from divorce.
Take Time To Know Your New Reality
Everyone experiences a shift in life, whether it’s positive or negative. When you go through a divorce, your life changes rapidly.
You may feel lost and alone. One by one, you’ll see everyone around you achieving their dreams. You might begin to doubt yourself and think that all of your hard work was in vain. This may push you into a tailspin of self-doubt, where it could be difficult for you to pull out again. Make sure you take some time to get used to your new reality.
Express Your Sadness
Grieving after a divorce is normal. Not grieving can result in significant mental and emotional problems. Everyone has the right to shed tears over their troubles, regardless of how old they are or how wise they believe themselves to be.
Cry behind the closed door if you are uneasy; but, lament. It will make you feel better in the end
Talk To Someone
Before things get out of hand, it’s important to discuss your feelings and emotions with someone close or even seek therapy if necessary. At this point, getting issues off your mind and heart is more vital than anything else.
If you feel the need to talk about it, discuss it with your friends, family, or therapist. It’s harmful to keep your problems to yourself.
Stop Living In The Past
One of the divorce sadness symptoms is reliving the event over and over. This is where you’re likely to find out what went wrong in your life by dwelling on the past. You’d want to know why so you could feel better about yourself, but there’s nothing there. Rather than trying to pin the blame for your difficulties on someone else, you should face reality and move on with your life.
Participate In Activities
Isolation and a desire to keep interactions to a bare minimum aren’t the answer if you’re going through divorce-induced PTSD. You must concentrate on essential things, like your emotional, physical, and mental well-being.
So, get focused on things you’ve always wanted to accomplish or do or revisit an old hobby. Things can’t be reversed, but we may all give some time for the wound to heal.
Spend Quality Time With Your Loved Ones
When you’re surrounded by good and friendly people, things change. So, to battle divorce stress syndrome, surround yourself with individuals who care about you the most. It might be your family, friends, or coworkers. They will assist you in overcoming the pain and keeping you from becoming depressed.
Meet People With Similar Interests
There may be instances when you believe your coworkers are unable to comprehend what you’re going through as a result of divorce-related PTSD.
Your ex could simply be jealous of your happiness, or they might just feel threatened by it. This may make their worry seem phony and unreal. If this is the case, you should join the group that’s going through depression after divorce. When you’d hear them talk about their issues and difficulties, you’d feel better understanding them. They will become your pillar of strength and assist you in overcoming stress after divorce.
Set Your Goals And Work Hard To Achieve Them
Everyone should have a long-term objective in life. Perhaps your life objective slipped to the bottom of your priorities list while you were married.
After a divorce, it’s time to look back on your long-forgotten life ambitions. Begin with daily goals and achievements. Keep track of it and start focusing on fulfilling them. It will be tough at first, but you’ll build momentum and be able to accomplish all the items on the list eventually.
Avoid Being Alone
The isolation that follows a divorce is known as post-divorce isolation. You wouldn’t want to talk to anyone, you wouldn’t be able to trust anybody, and you’d start replaying your life in the past trying to figure out what went wrong.
You may be experiencing dark thoughts and feelings of worthlessness. These gradually lead to sadness, which in turn encourages you to consider drastic actions.
Engage in Positive Self-Talk
After a divorce, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with negative ideas. Don’t blame yourself or have pessimistic thoughts. Even if you feel down, say daily affirmations and boost your spirits by loudly shouting them out. Consider the following:
- I am fearless and powerful.
- These events have been extremely valuable to my personal development.
- I’m worth it, regardless of how I look.
Conclusion
Life isn’t always fair, and it puts a lot of individuals to the test by providing them with unique challenges. You’ll ask a lot of queries and wish bad things for yourself if you have PTSD as a result of divorce. However, life is about looking ahead, so get on with it! So, gather yourself together and start over. After all, life is all about forward motion rather than going backward.
You can contact Mantra Care to seek help. Our trained therapists may help you in coping with the issue you are going through. They can assist you with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, relationship, and PTSD. You can talk to them directly by booking your first online session today in a few minutes. You can also book a therapy or download our free Android or iOS app.
