Divorce and Depression

 Posted on January 05, 2013 in Divorce

Divorce is rampant in our society. There are many reasons that couples decide to end marriages. One leading cause of divorce is depression in one spouse.

Roughly 15 million Americans, or 6.7% of the U.S. population suffer from depression. Depression is not something you can just snap out of, but rather a disease that needs to be treated. For the spouse who is living with a depressed spouse, things can quickly turn from a loving, fun marriage to a coping, care taking role in a marriage. This causes wear and tear on a relationship. No matter how committed one is to a marriage,giving all the time can hurt and cause resentment towards the spouse who has the depression.

Many couples realize that depression is a problem and may try counseling or other options as a solution. However, what leads to divorce is not the depression itself but rather, how the couple deals with it. Depression can just be a stepping stone to other problems such as anger, abuse and cheating.

It is crucial to realize that depression is a disease that needs to be treated with therapy and/or the prescription of medication. Much love, understanding and compassion along with hard work must be applied. However, if one does not want to seek out help, the other spouse has a right to seek separation or even divorce for the sanity of their own and possibly any children who are involved. If you have any questions about separation and divorce, contact a lawyer in Illinois who will give you answers to make your decisions more clearly.