No one gets married with an expectation or anticipation of getting divorced. It is an unfortunate way for a marriage to end. Thus, it can bring a whole lot of emotions and unexpected changes. Divorce or separation can be even more difficult when a couple has children. In India, divorce is almost treated as taboo and comes with a lot of stigma and judgement, especially for women. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the emotional and psychological impact of divorce on the mindset of Indian women,
Grief And Sadness
Grief is a natural emotion one experiences after a loss. Divorce can bring a lot of grief, as it signals the end of a marriage. Grief also brings other strong emotions, such as sadness and anger. Going through all these emotions can be incredibly overwhelming. Many women in India are societally conditioned and raised to believe that it’s a woman’s responsibility to hold a marriage together, Such beliefs can only add to the grief and sadness.
Guilt And Self-Blame
As we discussed earlier, many women in India are conditioned to believe that it’s primarily a woman’s responsibility to save or hold a marriage together. Such conditioning may lead them to question their decisions regarding marriage and leave them wondering if they could have done something more to prevent a divorce. Women may feel added guilt if they see their children facing emotional distress as a result of divorce, making the healing process more complicated.
Financial Stress
In India, most families are still traditional, where the husband earns, while the wife is expected to care for the family. Many women choose to or are often required to leave their jobs after childbirth. In such cases, divorce can bring a lot of financial stress and insecurity. The financial stress can be even more overwhelming if a woman has to care for her children.
Effects on Mental And Physical Health
Divorce often takes a high emotional toll on both men and women. However, women are more likely to feel judged or stigmatized in the Indian context, leading to a deeper emotional impact. In fact, research from 2011 suggests that women, both younger and older, are likely to suffer from enormous amounts of anxiety and depression immediately after divorce. The same research also found that older women find it harder to recover from the mental health effects of divorce as compared to younger women
Another study published in 2024 supported these findings, where it was found that women were likely to experience depressive symptoms immediately after divorce. The same study also reported that women coming from low-education or low-income groups had higher levels of depressive symptoms.
Additionally, research also suggests that both men and women are likely to develop heart diseases as a result of divorce, with women also being at high risk for developing eating disorders.
Difficulties With New Relationships
The thought of getting into another relationship can be overwhelming for women post-divorce, especially in India. Societal judgement and stigma, coupled with the fear of repeating past mistakes, can make it even more difficult for women to pursue new relationships.
Freedom And Empowerment
Thus far, we have discussed the challenging consequences of divorce for women, however, there is a brighter side to the picture as well. Indian society is slowly becoming more accepting of divorce, yet there seems to be a long way to go. A lot of times, divorce can be empowering for women as well, allowing them to take control of their lives, especially if they are in an abusive relationship.
Conclusion:
Divorce can be a devastating experience, bringing a rollercoaster of emotions including grief, sadness, anger, and confusion. For Indian women, societal stigma and judgement can pose an additional challenge. However, it is also important to know that divorce does not have to stop women from living their lives. They can navigate through this challenging phase by reaching out to friends, family, support groups and mental health professionals for help. If you are someone struggling with divorce, it is advisable to seek help at the earliest.
References:
- 11 Struggles Only Recently Divorced Women Understand | Karen Finn | YourTango. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2024, from https://www.yourtango.com/experts/dr-karen-finn/struggles-recently-divorced-women
- Eating disorders in middle aged women linked to divorce. (2017, January 17). Closer. https://closeronline.co.uk/diet-body/health-fitness/eating-disorders-middle-aged-women-linked-divorce/
- How Divorce Affects a Woman | Divorce & Family Lawyers. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2024, from https://galbraithfamilylaw.com/blog/divorce-affects-woman/
- Jeong, K.-H., Lee, S., Kim, C., Im, J.-H., & Jung, H. (2024). Patterns of depression among women post-divorce and the influential factors: Latent growth modeling. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 17, 100789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100789
- The Mind of a Recently Separated Woman—Divorced Girl Smiling. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2024, from https://www.divorcedgirlsmiling.com/inside-the-mind-of-a-recently-separated-40-something-woman/
