Here we go again. Looking for answers and for ways to get over a divorce? It doesn’t matter if you were a part of a couple for a few months, or for many years because all that matters is how much of your time you gave and how emotionally invested you were.

If I’m being honest, adjusting to being single again can vary from a few weeks to a few years. It all depends on YOU! During that time, you may experience several emotions that can hit you all at once, like you are on a rollercoaster. Besides the regular “side-effects” of a divorce, you can also be more susceptible to several conditions that can affect your health, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even physical conditions.

The depression that you can experience after a divorce is different from clinical depression. This one is known as situational depression or adjustment disorder, and it happens when you deal with traumatic events in your life. If you believe that you might experience depression due to your divorce, keep reading to find out what you need to do!

For many people, depression caused by a divorce can interfere with other symptoms and changes in their behavior, such as:

• avoiding people you are feeling close to – maybe you don’t want people to see you feeling angry and upset, which is a good thing (for a few days), because it gives you the chance to process everything, and to realize what actually happened. But don’t overdo it! Having people close to you can make you feel like you are not alone, and it will give you the opportunity to share all your emotions, and not let them overwhelm you!;
• fighting with others – this is a common thing many people tend to do. And that’s because, given the nature of the divorce, you can experience a lot of anger that was built up in you. You accumulate so much tension, so many feelings, and the moment someone tells you something you don’t agree with, you explode, even though the person you are angry with is actually somebody else;
• experiencing lack of focus – you might feel like all you want to do is lie in bed and not think about anything serious. Although it is ok to do that for a little while, you can’t avoid real-life forever. However, if you are willing to pick things up right where you left them, you might not be able to do it straight away. Your mind, and also your body can be tired from all the sad feelings that you have, and going to work is the last thing that you want to do. It’s not a problem if this happens a few days after your divorce, but if the lack of focus is still there even after a few months, this is a clear sign that you might experience post-divorce depression;
• ignoring responsibilities – if you don’t want to think about the things that you need to get done or you are trying to come up with reasons why you can’t do several things, or even if you are coming up with excuses for yourself, it’s a sign that you might experience depression. You’re feeling too tired to tackle serious matters because you might already be out of energy. Keep in mind that you can’t avoid responsibilities forever!;
• loss of appetite – when they are feeling down or when they feel like they want to hit something, some people lose their hunger. Nothing appeals to them, and even their stomach keeps growling, they don’t listen to it. It may be because they feel sick or get even more upset when they are trying to eat, so they just avoid it. Keep in mind that a loss of appetite is not something that will help you get in shape or get you a revenge body, but it will only lead to serious health issues!
• lack of motivation or/and interest – even the things you used to like before don’t seem appealing to you anymore. You don’t want to do anything that gets you out of your comfort zone, but if you experience that, let yourself feel all the feelings you want at first. But after a while, put yourself back together and then start picking up the positive habits that used to make you happy!;
• irritability – if you find yourself getting angry all the time, even because of little, insignificant things, it’s proof that you are not in a good place mentally, and you need to figure things out because being constantly under pressure is not good at all for your health, both mental and physical;

• fatigue – everything that you do is taking all the energy away from you, leaving you feeling lethargic, tired, and with body aches;
• crying – you cry a day, you cry a few weeks, you cry a few months, but you can’t cry forever. It is normal that your process of moving on won’t be easy and steady, but if you cry all the time or because of all the things that trigger you, it’s a clear sign that you might experience depression and it’s messing up your health;
• pessimism – there is nothing that makes you happy. You only think about bad things that can happen, about how something will get messed up, how you will be unhappy all the time and the list can go on. Long story short, it doesn’t matter what subject you are talking about, you are only seeing the bad side of any situation;
• suicidal thoughts – this is the WORST thing you can think of! When it comes to women, depression can occur as sadness, guilt, and feeling like they are not worthy enough. They can’t think of anything good, and some of them can imagine that their partners are happier without them. On the other hand, when it comes to men, depression in men manifests as difficulty in sleeping, drinking excessively, doing drugs etc. If you are feeling like you don’t want to live anymore, remember that you won’t always feel like this, and also, it’s always better to talk to somebody, especially with a specialist, about all of your problems;
• insomnia – you might think about what you did wrong, what you could’ve done to make the situation different, when the exact moment that everything started to change was. You might feel like you are so upset, that you find yourself tossing and turning around in bed, hoping that you will fall asleep soon. Skipping several hours of sleep can lead to serious health issues, so make sure that you take time to care for yourself!

TAKEAWAY 

It doesn’t matter how old you are, or what the reasons that you decided to file for divorce were. It’s never easy to get over it, but it’s not impossible! There will be moments when you might feel like you don’t care anymore, or there can even be situations when you might tear up just thinking about what happened!

In these moments, it’s always best to let yourself grieve, and if you experience any kinds of unpleasant situations, such as depression, don’t be afraid to ask for help!