The recent Annual Relationship, Marriage, and Divorce Survey conducted by Avvo online marketplace for legal services found that men are more likely to regret breaking up than women. Of the 254 divorced women surveyed, only 27% said they regretted their divorce.
And while media often shows men finding relief after “escaping the bear trap” of a bad marriage, and casts women in a desperate, “washed-up” light, research continues to show that women often report being happier after divorce.
Men deal with a lot of issues stemming from divorce. They deal with financial issues, the loss of a relationship, the loss of their identity, and much more. Because they get no support, men feel overwhelmed. The excessive stress causes health issues.
Statistics show that while women initiate divorce almost twice the rate that men do, women are also much more likely to greatly struggle financially after divorce. This is particularly true if children are involved.
Studies show that divorces are equally hard on men and significantly affect their overall health, happiness, and life. In fact, divorce has a more negative connotation for men than women. They suffer more in silence and are likely to develop feelings of resentment and hopelessness after divorce.
Divorce is often one of the most stressful events you'll ever experience. It throws your entire life into upheaval in one go. It's common for men to experience bouts of post-divorce depression. Everyone faces these risks, both men and women.
What science says. Past studies suggest that it takes a person, on average, eighteen months to move on after divorce, while others simply leave it at “it's complicated.” And that's the truth—divorce is complicated, and because of this, science is only so accurate.
According to various studies, the 4 most common causes of divorce are lack of commitment, infidelity or extramarital affairs, too much conflict and arguing, and lack of physical intimacy. The least common reasons are lack of shared interests and incompatibility between partners.
Some of the most common health issues they experience include insomnia, weight loss or gain, anxiety, and depression. Men are also burdened with the stress of balancing their finances to ensure they can support their new life as single men while still making alimony payments and paying child support.
According to available Census data, the divorce rate for second marriages in the United States is over 60% compared to around 50% for first marriages.
When a man is going through a divorce, he's losing the woman who was supposed to be his soulmate, his lifelong partner, so it's natural for him to grieve the loss. When men try to bury their feelings and skip the grieving period, naturally, they still “feel” the loss.
Dating a Divorced Man Red Flags
The bad mouth: If someone is constantly trashing their ex, it's doubtful that they're emotionally ready for a new relationship. Unresolved hurt and anger block the heart. It will be hard for them to love again until they face their issues and heal.
Thanks to the idea that men are unwaveringly stoic and unemotional, many men have less experience processing negative emotions in a healthy way, and may also feel less willing to reach out to emotional support networks — or to even have them in the first place.
The study found that on average unhappily married adults who divorced were no happier than unhappily married adults who stayed married when rated on any of 12 separate measures of psychological well-being. Divorce did not typically reduce symptoms of depression, raise self-esteem, or increase a sense of mastery.
Divorce puts a strain on the financial, social, and emotional relationships of the partners. This time particularly can be devastating for women who may lose confidence, be forced into custody issues, and may lose hope of ever finding happiness again. Some women find it hard to return to their normal self again.
A UK study by Kingston University surveyed 10,000 divorced men and women between ages 16 and 60. Participants were asked to rate their happiness before and after their divorce, and again the women were found to be much happier for up to five years following the end of their marriages.
Try and do more fun and positive things. That means activities or hobbies, preferably with other people. “This is a useful way of distracting yourself from negative thoughts while enjoying the company of others,” says Dr Robertson. “Physical activity with others has known positive mental and physical health benefits.”
While some may be happier after a divorce, research indicates most adults that divorce have lower levels of happiness and more psychological distress compared to married individuals. Divorce can bring up new conflicts between couples that cause more tension than when they were married.
Men are split almost evenly on the subject of remarriage: about a third of them want to give marriage another try, a third aren't sure, and a third say “never again!” Meanwhile, 54% of women don't want to remarry, and only 15% say they do.
The crude divorce rate (divorces per 1,000 Australian residents) was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 residents in 2021, up from 1.9 in 2020. The total number of divorces granted in 2021 was 56,244, the highest number of divorces recorded since 1976.
While there are countless divorce studies with conflicting statistics, the data points to two periods during a marriage when divorces are most common: years 1 – 2 and years 5 – 8. Of those two high-risk periods, there are two years in particular that stand out as the most common years for divorce — years 7 and 8.
But inevitably, over time, the sparkle wears off and the risk of relationship breakdown becomes very real. Statistics reveal that up to 33% of all Australian marriages are expected to end in divorce [1], and countless more relationships fall by the way side.
It's a process that's extremely tough from start to finish, and you can still feel emotional weeks, months, and even years after you and your former partner have split. The residual anger, hurt, confusion, depression, and even self-blame don't just disappear once a divorce is finalized.
They want to be loved, they want to be treated with kindness, they want to feel appreciated, and they want to feel like they are still capable of being in a healthy relationship. All that said, they don't want to be smothered. They don't want a needy woman who is demanding.
Many people feel a sense of grief for the person and relationship they lost. Your significant other might very well experience intense sadness after you walk away as he grieves for what you had together. Being dumped can also cause him to question his self-worth and lower his self-esteem. He may miss you.