It doesn’t matter how long your marriage lasted or whether it was fulfilling or fraught with disagreements, the divorce process is a painful and deeply personal experience. Healing from divorce takes time, but it can happen. If you’re currently going through a divorce of your own you should know that you will move on, eventually. As you wait to find healing, here are some things you can do to ensure your emotional and mental well-being is taken care of.
Hire a family law attorney.
Once you and your partner have made the decision to get a divorce, the first thing you should do is hire a divorce attorney, even if the divorce proceedings are uncontested. In order to find an attorney that best suits your needs, start by asking friends or family members for referrals. When seeking referrals from your circle, consider a friend or family member whose divorce situation is similar to yours. For instance, if you have kids, consider taking referrals from a friend who also had to go through a child custody settlement.
Alternatively, consider finding leads from your local bar association. If you live in the state of California, for instance, the State Bar of California has a comprehensive list of divorce lawyers in the state. Through this site, you can also take a look at their credentials and areas of expertise to get a sense of their years of experience. Beyond this, the San Diego County Bar Association can also help you find San Diego divorce attorneys, and also offer more information on the lawyers who practice family law whom you’ve identified as potential fits.
Once you’ve come up with a list of potential attorneys, do your research to ensure that you settle on the right San Diego divorce lawyer for your case. Most attorneys will offer a free consultation, so use this session to assess how comfortable you feel around them. During this consultation, also find out who your main contact person will be. For instance, will the attorney be handling your divorce case directly, or will the finer details of your individual case’s negotiation be left in the hands of a paralegal?
Additionally, find out how many clients their law firm takes on at a particular time. If your lawyer is too busy, they may not be able to give your family law case the level of attention it deserves. Beyond all this, also use this free consultation to compare legal fees and go over payment options.
If you have children, help them cope with the divorce.
Going through a divorce is difficult for the divorcing couple, but when children are involved, it can affect their mental health and validate a child’s fears, further creating a cycle of attachment anxiety. This split in the family structure can also create deep issues of separation anxiety and depression in the young child or teenager.
If your adolescent or child already has some anxiety issues or a mood disorder, a divorce can trigger these mental health problems. In most cases, when parents divorce, children will react by blaming themselves for the divorce, becoming more aggressive or rebellious, becoming “clingy,” or presenting regressive behaviors—such as tantrums or bedwetting in younger children. If you notice any changes of this kind in your teen, teen counseling may be an option for you to consider.
The teen years are fraught with self-image issues, the tension of peer pressure, and puberty changes. When you add the strain of divorce or familial dysfunction, this stress can be overwhelming for any young person to handle on their own. A mental health professional with experience with working with adolescents can help your teen manage the resulting stress from the divorce, and also help them find ways to cope with any other mental health issue they may be dealing with.
Several mental health organizations maintain searchable databases of licensed teen therapists. To find a teen therapist in your area, simply key in, “teen therapy near me” on websites such as the American Psychological Association, and get matched to a mental health professional in your area. Alternatively, type in your zip code on a site like the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to get a list of counselors in your area who work with teens.
Find ways to prioritize your wellness.
CBD (cannabidiol) is a non-hallucinogenic and one of the most popular active ingredients found in the cannabis plant. Today, CBD is gaining popularity in the health and wellness industry due to its therapeutic benefits. CBD is often confused with THC, the active ingredient found in the hemp plant, which is responsible for the “high” feeling marijuana delivers. When made into various topicals (CBD oil), tinctures, and digestible forms, such as Gummy Joy’s 60 MG CBD gummies, CBD products can help ease an overactive mind and insomnia.
It’s important to note that cannabis products are not regulated by the FDA. To avoid any side effects, always consult your doctor before incorporating CBD into your self-care routine.
