What Feelings are normal Following marriage breakdown and Separation?

For both men and women facing life after separation, sometimes feelings can be very intense. This often leads to wondering if these feelings will ever pass and the question asked, "Will I ever feel normal again?"

Depending on the time spent with a partner, these feelings that are part of the grieving process can take varying amounts of time to fade away. There is no set time that the grieving process takes until healing begins.

Some feelings that may be experienced as part of relationship breakdown might include any of the following:

Powerlessness | Confusion | Betrayal | Guilt | Regret | Vengefulness | Anger | Frustration | Anxiety | Desperation | Denial | Loneliness | Sadness | Bewilderment | Hurt | Relief | Isolation | Shock

If you are finding it difficult to cope it is advisable to seek help before serious health issues manifest.

Symptoms may include loss of appetite or over-eating, over-consumption of alcohol, recreational or pharmaceutical drug reliance, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, inappropriate or risky sexual activity, general risk taking, inability to perform normal daily routine and social withdrawal.

Help is available through many counselling services available.

So how long might it take to recover?

"Most people expect that going through a divorce will be hard and that they aren't going to feel happy. However, most people expect that as they adapt to their new lives and situation, they will begin to feel better. A recent study suggests it's more complicated.

In an article titled, "Time does not heal all wounds," Professor Richard Lucas at Michigan State University reported that the level of life satisfaction of divorced adults does not recover to pre-divorce levels even six years after the divorce."

Read article:Huffington Post

Christine Bennett offers Family Dispute Resolution and Marriage Counselling in Crows Nest,Central Coast NSW and online.