Even divorces that are considered amicable bring about a significant amount of stress. In a recent small-scale study referenced in the National Library of Medicine, 52 divorced individuals shared their experiences. The results of this report reflect the reality for many people contemplating divorce.
In this article, we will discuss the top five causes of divorce stated in this study.
Lack of commitment
The most commonly cited major contributing factor that led to divorce was a lack of commitment. If one or both parties are no longer committed to their spouse or their marriage, it creates a riff that feels insurmountable to the couple.
Infidelity or extramarital affairs
Infidelity is often associated with the final action in a marriage that has already suffered from other significant challenges. Infidelity often results in a lack of trust and long-standing negative feelings that can further damage a struggling marriage.
Excessive conflict or arguing
Conflict and arguing that do not result in solutions and create increased frustration and unhappiness hurts a couple’s entire quality of life. Without being able to communicate with their spouse calmly, arguments can become increasingly frequent and intense, leaving couples feeling unsupported and without hope for their marriage.
Getting married too young
Choosing to divorce after acknowledging that each party was too young to make an informed decision is also common. Individuals may change as they grow older, but more often, the difference is in the perspective of various qualities of a partner. A lack of maturity can affect not only the decision of who to marry but also how well challenges are handled early in the marriage, resulting long term negative feelings.
Financial Problems
Although financial problems are not always considered the primary factor in divorce, they are often cited as contributing factors to the overall stress and tension in the marriage. The added pressure can lead to more frequent unresolved arguments, which in turn weakens commitment to the marriage arrangement.
Divorce can be a stressful process. Often the reasons that lead to the decision to divorce are the culmination of a period of knowing that the marriage was weakening. A lack of commitment, infidelity, excessive arguing, getting married too young, and financial problems can result in a heavy burden on the relationship, where divorce appears to be the best option for each party to move on.