Getting Divorced Could Have A Dangerous Effect On Men
Simply put, getting a divorce sucks. It's the admission that the biggest promise you made to another person was broken for one reason or another. In Hollywood, the divorced woman is portrayed as heartbroken, emotional, and perhaps slightly unhinged. Meanwhile, there has yet to be a typical type cast for the man in the midst of a divorce. And in this absence comes some dangerous truths that the public may be less aware of. Here's why getting divorced could be treacherous for men.
According to HuffPost, there are some harsh findings when it comes to studies of divorced men. The University of Nebraska concluded that divorced and unmarried men were more susceptible to drug abuse and depression when compared to married men. And devastatingly, they also found that divorced or separated men had a 39 percent higher rate of suicide compared to those who were hitched.
Divorced Mag also points out that men are more likely to skip the grieving process. This may seem like a positive to be able to hop over that roller-coaster of pain, but if men skip out on that ride, they feel more loss when their lives don't go as planned. In addition to a greater sense of loss, men are more likely to lose their sense of identity when going through a divorce, as women are more likely to join new groups and activities.
Men may feel a greater sense of loss
And it is not just the husband role a newly divorced man has suddenly lost. A lot of divorced men suffer from a dramatic loss of time spent with their children causing them to face a damaged relationship with their kids, explains Dadtography. In fact, in one study it was reported that nearly 50 percent of divorced fathers had gone a year without seeing their children.
We're starting to understand why Hollywood may find it easier to put a more comical spin on divorce if it's coming from the woman's side. If you know a man or a woman stuck in the trenches of divorce, consider reaching out. Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D., author of Should I Stay or Should I Go tells Oprah Magazine one of the best things you can do is just listen. "Most people don't need advice during a divorce, they just need to know that they're not alone and that people care."