-Bob Dylan.
The traditional nuclear family of the 1950's, with the working husband, homemaking wife and children are a minority group in today's way of life. Where today families are of all natures from blended to reconstituted families from prior divorce's is now accepted and not shunned. In this paper we will focus on what crisis are faced by the spouses and the law's view of divorce. The emotions faced by children and parents during the divorce process and how to deal with the them. And lastly the churches views and actions on divorce.
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Based on divorce rates from 1938, over one third or 36% of marriages will end in divorce within 30 years of marriage.(Statistics Canada) A large reason for the divorce process is the marriage breakdown. Through the marriage breakdown and into the divorce process the spouses can face up to 3 major crisis which will affect them tremendously. The three major crisis are emotional crisis, economic crisis and the parenting crisis.
i. Emotional Crisis.
For most people, there is two criteria they want for self-fulfillment. First is to have a satisfying job and second is to have a happy marriage and family relationship. If the marriage breaks down, there is a a personal sense of loss and isolation from everyone. The longer the marriage the greater the shock is to the spouses. Another factor to the emotion is if children are involved in the break up which makes the emotional crisis even worse. People involved in emotional divorce tend to find things change. Their weight may drop 20 to 30 pounds, they want to drown their sorrows by drinking a lot or smoking a lot, they become restless, cannot sleep and cannot concentrate a their job and they may go on a workaholic binge to avoid facing facts at home. Emotional divorce passes through many states such as denial hostility, depression and ultimately acceptance of reality of the end of the marriage says psychiatrists and psychologists.