Divorce Response Essay

Recovering from a divorce is a distinctive process not only for each individual, but also for each gender. Divorce can be an agonizing process for men and women because there can be so many casualties in divorce—children, relatives, friends and finances. Understanding the different effects divorce has on both parties helps them both heal and face the proceedings.

Emotional

Coping with the emotional consequences of divorce can be traumatic and enduring. Family divorce psychologist, Renee A. Cohen, Ph.D., asserts that the grief and stress that men and women encounter in divorce is “second only to the distress suffered from the loss of a loved one through death.” Although men and women both experience similar emotions in the marital failure, women have a tendency to emotionally adjust better than men do. The late psychologist and mediation practitioner, Kathleen O’Connell Corcoran suggested that this difference occurs for various reasons. Women are twice as likely to initiate divorce because they are more likely to recognize problems in the marriage. In her article, "Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Divorce," Corcoran states

Not only is divorce expensive, but spouses must also maintain a lifestyle on one salary. If you were a stay-at-home parent, finding adequate employment to support your family is an additional burden. Corcoran states that financial burdens can magnify because of childcare and the cost of child support. According to George Mason University sociology and law professor and author Lenore Weitzman, women are more likely to face damaging financial consequences and a diminished standard of living than men. Her studies found that after a divorce, a woman experiences a 73 percent reduction in standard of living while a man’s standard of living is enhanced by 42 percent. However, these statistics are also dependent on number of children and stability of