From: Bruce Derman, Ph.D. and Wendy Gregson, MS, LMFT
Are you truly ready for divorce or are you just threatening? – Divorce is often threatened, especially in heated marital arguments for the following reasons:
- Out of anger and frustration.
- To gain power and control over the other person, and/or to get them to see things your way.
- To finally be taken seriously that you want real change.
- As a wake-up call that the marriage is faltering.
People who consistently threaten divorce lose credibility with themselves and their partner. If the person is not merely threatening, but is genuinely ready for a divorce, they can sustain the following thought in their own mind,
“That I wish to close a chapter of my life, because I am at peace with the fact that there is no more that I can do or give to this relationship.” They will discuss this appropriately with their spouse without any blame.