Mental health issues are moderately common. Many people struggle with anxiety or depression. Some people have substance abuse disorders. A small percentage of individuals have personality disorders, trauma-related disorders and other serious mental health challenges.
Some people may eventually choose to divorce their spouses because of how mental health issues affect their families. Others might divorce for separate reasons but may find that a spouse’s mental health challenges could complicate the divorce process.
Preventing people from filing
One spouse may recognize that the marriage is unsustainable or unhealthy. However, they may feel trapped because they don’t want people to think of them as having abandoned their spouse. They may worry, for example, that a spouse with mental health challenges may not be able to support themselves or could lose access to their medication if they no longer have health insurance. People may need support overcoming their guilt and fear if they want to divorce a spouse with mental health challenges.
Inspiring erratic behavior
Divorce is an extreme form of stress and also a type of trauma. It can affect everything from an individual’s sense of self to their connections with other people. Divorce can potentially worsen pre-existing mental health issues and cause depression. The stress of divorce may result in people relapsing when they have substance abuse disorders or becoming more erratic and unpredictable if they have personality disorders, such as narcissistic personality disorder. People may need to prepare to protect themselves if they worry that their spouse could become volatile or even violent because of their decision to divorce.
Complicating custody matters
A parent with a mental health disorder may not be capable of consistently meeting the needs of minor children without the support of a spouse. While they may be safe around the children within the family home, the other parent may worry about how they may comport themselves during independent parenting time. It may be possible to limit one parent’s overnight time with the children or convince the courts that supervised visitation is necessary for the safety of the children. However, pursuing such unusual custody arrangements usually requires proof of the issue. Parents who want to protect their children from a potentially dangerous situation may need to delay a divorce filing until they have gathered evidence and developed a strategy.
Discussing the mental health challenges of a spouse with a skilled legal team can help people prepare for the challenges ahead of them during divorce proceedings. With the right support, people can leave an unhealthy situation and focus on enjoying a brighter future.