Divorce

DISCLAIMER: Dawson McAllister Live does not engage in professional counseling of any sort. The resources that you are about to view are for support and guidance only. They are not intended to give authoritative advice, nor should they be seen as a replacement for professional counseling. These resources are best seen as a beginning point for those who are interested in getting help.

WARNING: The audio clips and stories contained in these resources may cause emotional pain to those who are struggling with the issues discussed.

Welcome to The HopeLine Virtual Coach for the issue of Divorce. Below you will find stories, information, and resources dealing with the issue. Before you get started with the Virtual Coach, please listen to a DMLive caller talk to Dawson about his struggle with divorce in his life. To hear the call, please click here.


What is divorce?

Divorce is the separation and death of a marriage. It leads to a break-up of the family. This life-shattering experience leaves children of divorced parents feeling like emotional orphans with a deep sense of abandonment and loss.

Divorce statistics are hotly debated and often misquoted or misrepresented. Generally speaking 50% of marriages end in divorce. Of the overall fifty percent, approximately thirty percent of first marriages end in divorce, with each successive marriage having a greater likelihood of divorce.

Jamie’s Story

Jamie was tired of the fighting. He was tired of the frequent put-downs. He was tired of all the threats that his mom and dad made to one another about leaving. But as tired as he was, he was not ready for the divorce. Life had been very difficult at Jamie’s house for a few years. His parents had fought over petty things for as long as Jamie could remember but recently the fights had become more frequent and more severe. All of this led up to the night that Jamie will never forget; when his parents separated for good. Since the divorce, Jamie splits his time between his mom’s house and his dad’s house. Jamie’s dad has remarried so Jamie now has two step-sisters. He has no idea how to relate to them and sometimes sees them as intruding into his life. Jamies mom is dating. That makes Jamie feel very uncomfortable. He does not know what to say to these new people in his life. He doesn’t even know what to call them. Jamie’s dad tries to send messages to his mom by having Jamie deliver the messages. His mom always puts down Jamie’s dad, talking about how bad of a husband he was and that she hopes Jamie does not grow up to be like him. Jamie is confused. He loves both of his parents but he does not feel that he can let either parent know his true feelings about them or the other parents. He continues to experience strong emotions, including anger, depression, and anxiety. The divorce has affected Jamie’s grades and he has begun to withdrawal from his friends at school. He has thought and thought about what happened in his family and has come to believe that his parents might still be married if he had just been a better son.

Your Story

With roughly 50% of all marriages ending in divorce, literally millions of people are now children of divorced parents. Maybe you are one of them. If so, then you may be able to identify with Jamie and his struggles. When parents divorce, the children are often the ones that suffer most. This is troubling because the children are the ones who had the least to do with the divorce in the first place. In other words, children of divorced parents suffer because of the inability of the parents to work out their differences. People are different and circumstances vary, but if your parents are divorced you are likely struggling to work through the pain and difficulties associated with their divorce. If either or both parents have remarried then you are faced with an even more difficult situation. If your parents’ new spouse has children, then another dynamic is present and can cause even more problems. All of this may leave you feeling hopeless and confused. The good news is that you don’t have to remain that way. Hope exists and help is available.

If you’re dealing with divorce or know someone who is, please read the options below and click any as they relate to you: Return to the Virtual Coach Menu.