One of the reasons that people take their time when deciding to divorce is because of how much work it takes to undergo such a dramatic change in your life. If you have recently separated from your spouse, you are doubtlessly multi-tasking like never before in response to your new circumstances. There is moving, talking to an attorney, sorting through all of your finances and creating a new budget, possibly battling over child support and spousal support, and acclimating your children to living between two parents.
While you are actively and simultaneously accomplishing all of these tasks, you are also feeling your separation: hurt, sadness, anger, disappointment, embarrassment—all of it. With the year 2020 in full swing, we are afforded the chance to check in on our goals and ourselves for this New Year. With the end of your marriage, there is no better time than now to ensure that you are focusing on your mental and physical health.
How Are You Coping?
Be mindful if you are diving into any new or previously problematic ways of coping. Do you find yourself going through the drive-through and eating too much unhealthy food when you aren’t hungry? Have you found yourself consuming a little more alcohol than before? Are you experimenting with controlled substances? While these activities may feel good to you at the moment, they are masking your real feelings without allowing you to process them to move forward. Worse, these behaviors can easily get out of control and send you into a spiral.
Seek a Mental Health Professional and Support
It is a wise, common, and healthy choice to seek mental health support. More than ever, people are utilizing therapy to talk things out, to process trauma, to address undesirable behaviors, and to develop healthy coping tools. Call your health insurance company about therapeutic services. Take a proactive approach and research local therapists. Many therapists take some form of insurance. If you would like a referral, we have several therapists that we have come to know like and trust, and we would be happy to provide a few suggestions.
Support groups for divorced people also exist. These are offered by professional counselors, who moderate the group sessions, through various religious organizations, or through groups organized through online portals such as MeetUp.com. You can share your experience and listen to others who are in various stages of healing from the end of their marriage.
See Your Doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor. It is a normal desire to want to put off seeing any doctor at this time while you have so many other things going on. Nevertheless, your physical health is just as important as your mental health. You deserve to treat yourself well, and that means getting seen by a doctor, getting routine medical testing, speaking up about ailments, and following any recommendations.
Let New Direction Family Law Assist You
New Direction Family Law provides high-quality legal representation to individuals who want to resolve their divorce and move toward a new and fulfilling life. We understand that our clients need compassionate and responsive attorneys. Our attorneys bring decades of experience and insight to the table and will passionately advocate for your legal interests. Let us stand with you. We serve clients in Wake, Johnston, Durham, and surrounding counties. Contact New Direction Family Law at (919) 719-3470 to schedule a consultation or visit us online at our website.