One thing that makes divorce so difficult to deal with is the emotional toll that it takes on each person. You need to be prepared for the way that the end of your marriage might impact you during the process, as well as in the period after it.
There are many different feelings that you might experience. Oftentimes, this is a roller coaster of emotions that can have ups and downs at a drop of the hat. Knowing how to cope with these might be beneficial.
You may feel angry at times. This is often due to thinking of the negative events that led to the divorce. Situations involving adultery and similar points might be more likely to cause anger than others.
There is a chance that you will get sad about the end of the marriage. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to get back with your ex. Instead, it is more of a down state that is due to the “what ifs” that come with the end of a long relationship. Thinking about what you might have done differently or what the future may have held if the marriage continued might be hard to deal with.
Feelings of elation and freedom might surface. These are especially common in situations where one spouse was being controlled or felt like he or she was being held down by the other person. You might be shocked when you feel this, but it is perfectly normal.
In many cases, the first year after the divorce is the most difficult to deal with emotionally. You will have to go through all of the firsts as a single person. These include holidays and other special events like your birthday. You might even go through a range of emotions on what was your wedding anniversary or the anniversary of the divorce.