According to statistics, half of all marriages end up in divorce. Countries such as Sweden and the Czech Republic have even higher divorces rates at a whopping 60 percent of all marriages ending up in separation. Though the reasons for divorce vary from couple to couple, there are common reasons which are typically a combination of several of these reasons.
Here are some of the most commons reasons that a couple’s marriage ends up in divorce:
Young Marriage – In the past, getting married too young is the number one reason that couples end up in divorce. However, people are getting married much later in life. For the couples who marry young, the main problem is that as they age they end up growing apart in different direction which often results in falling out of love.
Conflicting Life Goals – Another major reason that couples divorce is different objectives in life. For example, when one partner wants to have children but the other prefers to delay having children for career opportunities, this can result in divorce.
Extra-marital Affairs – When one partner constantly engages in infidelity or extra-marital affairs, this could become a cause for divorce. Learning about a partner’s extra-marital activities can cause extreme pain to the other partner. It may be difficult for that partner to forgive and forget the occurrence which will result in divorce.
Finances – A marriage that is stressed because of unstable finances can be a major reason for falling out of love. Arguments over the way in which money is handled or arguments over the lack of money, can lead to a divorce court settlement. Also if a particular partner spends excessively because of a shopping addiction or has secretly acquired massive credit card debt this could be a root of separation.
Emotional or Physical Abuse – A marriage that is based on emotional and physical abuse, will most likely end up divorcing. An emotionally and physically abusive partner can push his or her partner away. Especially when abuse occurs over a prolonged period of time, most psychiatrists or marriage counselors agree that divorce would be the best course of action.
Irreconcilable Differences – Irreconcilable differences mean that the couple’s marriage has reached the point where they are unable to agree on anything anymore. At this stage, one or both partners refuse to mend the situation or their differences. At this point, the only course of action is divorce.
Addiction – Constant drug, shopping, eating and gambling addiction can cause a strain in a relationship. A partner engaging in his or her addiction will often disregard anyone including their partner to reach that high. It could make the other partner feel unloved or worthless. This is a major reason for divorce.
Though these are the most common reasons for divorce, it varies from couple to couple and it is usually a combination of two or more reasons. Divorce can be decided by either one partner or both partners. Any separation or divorce is extremely difficult so it is important to seek the support of close friends and loved ones.
“There is no universal theoretical framework for post-divorce research, instead, specifi c explanatory approaches focus on individual issues. The divorce-stress-adjustment perspective of Amato (2000) is a particularly influential approach on which many empirical studies of the psychological consequences of relationship dissolution are based. According to this approach, separation and divorce are dramatic life events, which drastically infl uence the lives of those involved, carrying short- and/ or long-term consequences. On the level of psychological implications, a variety of results prove the negative consequences. Braver and Lamb (2013: 493) summarise the relevant research results as follows: “It is not surprising that divorced parents are more likely to suffer psychological and emotional problems than married parents, although most parents are not permanently damaged by divorce. Divorced parents have higher risks of depression, anxiety, and unhappiness, physical illness, suicide, motor vehicle accidents, alcoholism, homicide, and overall mortality.” The adjustment to new life conditions is, in the most cases, easier for women than for men, because they have better support networks, initiate divorce more frequently than men and often have more effective coping strategies.” Comparative Population Studies Vol. 40, 3 (2015): 219-228 (Date of release: 30.09.2015) , Editorial on the special issue “Research on Divorce: Causes and Consequences” Paul B. Hill, Johannes Kopp