Divorce rates are increasing and people are still getting a divorce in this pandemic.
1. Unresolved marriage issues
Most couple are not perfect and they have underlying issues. Most couples tend to avoid addressing their issues to avoid arguments with their spouse.
However, when the pandemic happens last year, couples are forced to be home all the time. This indirectly forces them to deal with their unresolved marriage issues.
For example, whenever an issue arisaes, one of the spouse may avoid addressing it by going out. However, now in this pandemic, both do not have any room to breathe and is force to face the issue.
Now some couples manage to pull themselves out from their unresolved issues and successfully find solution to their marriage problem. Unfortunately, some may ask : Is this the way I want to live for the next ten, 15, 30 years?” and in the end choose to walk away from one another.
2. Money
Before the pandemic, money is already a common cause of divorce. The pandemic have caused thousands of people to lose their jobs or a decrease in income. This may raise stress and intensity in a relationship.
More than that, financial insecurity have causes anxiety, anger and frustration. Unfortunately in some cases, this also lead to domestic violence.
3. Physical and mental abuse
According to https://www.unwomen.org/ – globally, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, 1 in 3 women experienced physical or sexual violence. There are no excuse whatsoever for domestic violence.
The usual cause or triggers of domestic violence are alcohol, drugs, money or even their own frustration with themselves. One spouse tend to channel their frustration or blame their spouse. If you are a victim of domestic violence, please lodge a police report or seek help from your friends or family. Do not keep this to yourself as domestic violence will not end without any help from the outside.
4. Third Party
In this context, third party could be the mother in law, father in law or even any other family members.
We understand that living with your husband’s family or wife’s family is not easy which comes with variety of challenges. Before the pandemic couples may have a system in place to overcome those challenges. For example, maybe every Friday or weekends both will get to spend a date night together or even agrees that the other spouse will get to go out and spend time with his or her friends and the following week will be the other spouse turn but because of this pandemic, those system or arrangement may no longer be relevant as everyone have to stay home almost 24/7.
So this pandemic in a way amplifies the existing situation with their mother in-law or father in-law. Some may feel that they have no power in decision making, too much criticism or even decisions involving the upbringing of their children.
5. Extramarital affairs
This is a common reason and not necessary due to the pandemic. Extramarital affairs simply means either your husband or wife is having romantic relationship with another person.
Romantic relationship may also include flirty messages, sending lewd pictures or talking at late hours – all this usually will trigger an invisible wall between married couples as they will start to suspect the other person. If the person is already doing this before the pandemic, then the pandemic will definitely make situation worse as now, both will have to be at home together for almost 24/7.
In Closing
My advice to struggling married couples is to try every possible ways to save the marriage before making any decision to file for a divorce.
Consult a marriage therapist, talk to one another, try to find a new system or arrangement that is suitable in this pandemic to overcome the challenges.