The Effects of Divorce

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The Effects of Divorce

Relationships are all about give and take, and to maintain them you must be willing to do the work. Today, dissolution of marriage is being used as the easy way out when couples can no longer agree. When couples decide to divorce, emotions run rampant and the effects on the family are not always considered. Divorce has become a debatable topic because of the loss of family structure and foundation. For some people, the consequences of divorce are devastating, and for others it means freedom. What does living “happily ever after” mean, when divorce rates continue to increase, and the option of divorce is available for marriages that do not work?

Divorce has reached an all time high and has become so common in our society that there is no second thought to it. According to DivorceRate.org, the divorce rate in America is 50 percent, which means one in two marriages ends in divorce. The divorce rate in America for first marriages is 41 percent, for second marriages is 60 percent, and for third marriages is 73 percent (DivorceRate.org, 2010). The question that arises when ending a marriage is what happened and who gave up first? As a member of the divorce only club, this is a question I have had to ask myself on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, I have experienced divorce twice. Each marriage lasting only seven years and taking up 14 years of my life, I constantly re-evaluate why my personal relationships never last. Were the failures of my relationships due to the lack of communication, problems of intimacy, or just outgrowing each other where enough was enough?

Relationships are a part of our everyday lives; we have both acquaintances and committed relationships. Relationships can bring ...

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Clarke, L. and Berrington, A. (1999). Socio-demographic predictors of divorce. Retrieved on July 5, 2010, from http://www.oneplusone.org.uk/Publications/ReviewPapers/1%20-%20Socio-demographic%20predictors%20of%20divorce.pdf

Good relationships require good communications (2007, January 22). Retrieved July 5, 2010, from http://www.counseling.org/Publications/CounselingCorner.aspx?AGuid=a6a51412-ea3a-49ae-9a90-8119e745105d

Lucas, R. E. (2005). Time does not heal all wounds. A longitudinal study of reaction and

adaptation to divorce. Psychological Science, 16, 945-950. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from http://www.psych.umn.edu/courses/spring06/stegerm/psy1905/articles/lucas%202005.p

Fagan, P., & Rector, R. (2000, June 5). The effects of Divorce on America. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2000/06/The-Effects-of-Divorce-on-America

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