The readers of our Dallas divorce blog know that they can plan for the future, but the truth is that life is unpredictable. We cannot always look down the road and know what our lives will look like in five years or 10 years. Events occur that can have a significant impact on who we are, what we want and how we see life.
As the years go by, time can change us as well. Could you say that you are the same person you were 10 years ago? Do you want the same things? The truth is that partners in a marriage do not always grow together or respond in the same way to major life events, and this has nothing to do with the “strength” of the relationship.
Elizabeth Ochoa, PhD, is a marriage counselor and chief psychologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Her career puts her in a unique position to understand how marriages change when people change. In an interview with Health.com, she listed some major life events or situations that contribute to the decision to divorce.
The first major life event Ochoa discussed was the diagnosis of a serious illness. She noted that it can “create debt and pain and loss of self.” Chronic disease and illness are not easy to deal with. They are painful, expensive and stressful. In addition, a spouse is not always prepared to become a full-time caregiver or take on extra burdens.
What are some other common experiences that may alter the relationship between partners? We will discuss those in our next post on the subject.
Source: Health.com, “7 Life Events That Can Lead to Divorce,” Amanda MacMillion, March 20, 2015