There is a new study on the psychological impact of divorce generated by some universities at any given moment in time. A lot of them are very ideologically motivated, but worse still, they seem to contradict each other at every turn. In fact, any discipline built on honest scholarship should contradict itself. Individuals are complicated, and no uniform principle can be superimposed over them without a significant reduction in meaningfulness. So when we get one divorce study that says men tend to spiral into a depressive hole after their marriages collapse, we must take it into the same context that produced another study: One that shows some individuals (presumably not men) find a creative stride after their divorces.

What does it mean? Who’s right? They are both right. 

A “suprisingly high” number of divorcees reported work-related improvements

Divorce is quite stressful, and it often puts us into a mode in which we are not considering the past or the future but are firmly entrenched in the next big problem that will arise out of a sea of problems. Getting out of the regret and apprehension feedback loop is difficult, but some folks are naturals at it. They report feelings of being “more alive” during stressful periods than others, who isolate and brood. 

But is this really a positive place to be? Are work-related improvements coming at too high of a cost? Is it really true that just because you’re throwing yourself into your work, you are actually doing better than you were before?

Tempering the results with the truth

Being more productive at work at the expense of looking backward or forward is not sustainable psychology. However, in the moment, it could feel like a creative boon because now, you are unencumbered or less encumbered by the relationship, are activating novel problems to solve, and the road forward is going to force your creative juices into overdrive. That does not, however, suggest that working or living in this state is healthy or functional. In fact, it may not be.

On the other hand, those encumbered by a relationship and feeling as though they are just going through the motions may find a healthy creative outlet in focusing on their work. Ultimately, better-at-work is not a metric for psychological health. The issue must be looked at holistically. When you look at it in terms of work production, we are losing a sense of the whole person who may only be patching ugly feelings with chronic activity. That may not be sustainable for most people.

Talk to an Indiana Family Lawyer Today

Considering divorce? Contact Chris Arrington today. We can discuss what moves you need to make before the divorce filing and help you at all stages after the divorce filing. Call today to learn more.