If you are in the middle of a divorce, you may have noticed a decline in your mental health. After all, according to Psychology Today, ending a marriage can cause an uptick in anxiety and depression. Because you need to be in an emotionally healthy place to manage your divorce, you should not neglect your mental health.
Just as your divorce can cause your mental health to suffer, your children may not be coping particularly well. Here are three signs your children may not be ok.
1. Social isolation
Your children probably love to spend time with friends, relatives and others. Unfortunately, though, anxiety and depression can cause kids to withdraw socially. Moreover, your kids may respond to divorce-related anxiety and depression by bullying their friends or otherwise pushing them away.
2. Academic issues
Like all parents, you want your children to do well at school. If they begin to have academic issues during your divorce, they may be having trouble managing its emotional fallout. Academic issues can include any of the following:
- Failing to complete schoolwork
- Receiving worse grades
- Misbehaving in class
- Skipping school
3. Ambivalence
Hobbies can make any child better-rounded, so you probably encourage your kids to explore their interests and passions. If the young ones in your family become ambivalent about things they have always enjoyed, their mental health may be in jeopardy.
It is not uncommon for concerned parents to ask a family therapist to help their children develop the tools they need to cope with the psychological consequences of divorce. Ultimately, if you worry about your kids, doing so also can give you some peace of mind.
