Divorce Support Groups - Divorce Source

Key Points

Before, if you are contemplating divorce, during, and after divorce you should make sure you have a support system to help you through each step. Support groups are often a way to start the healing process, you find you are not alone, the only one who got a divorce, the only one who feels like you do, and sometimes this helps.
Joining a support group is often a daunting task; which one is right for me, locale, church based, or secular based. Sometimes the first group you head to will not the one for you, don’t be afraid, ashamed or embarrassed to try a few out. Find a support group that fits you.

Quote: A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and the one that we take the least care of all to acquire. (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)

Divorce & Emotions:

Anger, bitter, scared, happy, sad, embarrassed? It’s the gamut of emotions, and sometimes they all come in one day. Their target: you.

You think to yourself, especially if you have children:

"Why did I do this?"
"Why did the person do this to me?"
"I don’t deserve this."
"This wasn’t in our five or ten year plans."
"I didn’t know how he/she was not happy!"
"If only we had talked, really talked"

Your First Meeting:

Your first couple of meetings with your support group can be emotional. You will share stories and tears with people who had been married anywhere from a year to over 30 years. Their educational levels vary but their anxiety and unhappiness are equal. Divorce does not discriminate! You’ll start out as strangers in your group and end up as friends exchanging phone numbers for support at any hour of need.

Knowing When to Join a Support Group

As soon as there is talk of separation, find a support group. Here are just a few ways in which you will benefit:

Gain emotional support from people who understand your emotional stress.
Learn how others are dealing with their children.
Cope with the disappointment of parents and other family members.
Encouragement to start over with new relationships.
Understand and cope with financial burdens.
Learn not to sign any papers until you see your lawyer (according to divorce attorneys, this is the number one mistake made by women in this situation).
Gain knowledge of laws and rights, which vary from state to state.

Where Are the Support Groups?

Your first call may be to a friend who has been divorced. Your telephone book may have listings under Counseling, Divorce, Therapy or Mental Health Services. The "blue pages" of your local phone directory lists government agencies and community services. Also, be sure to ask your attorney to recommend a group.

Divorce Support Groups introduce you to people who understand what you are going through. There are thousands of divorce support groups around the U.S. that provide the atmosphere that will allow you to break from the past and rebuild your life. Most of the divorce support groups are non-denominational even though they are held or sponsored by local churches.

Online Divorce Support Forums