The woman doesn’t feel well, tries to understand why and ends up opening doors whose locks had never even been touched. This is the midlife marriage crisis that few discuss.
The term is gaining popularity, and it is no coincidence. More and more women do it, and many don’t, but they feel the same. The reader has probably already guessed at this point: the menodivorce is a divorce that occurs during or as a consequence of menopause.
Many women in perimenopause (the period before menopause) or menopause begin to question essential aspects of their lives. Marriages, whether short or long-term, do not escape judgment. It’s not that menopause causes divorce, plain and simple. But it is a catalyst for a reevaluation of life and relationships in general.
“Some women feel a renewed sense of independence or question whether their current relationship still meets their needs,” explains Anna Lock, a divorce lawyer, to . The relationship may seem solid, but the physical and emotional changes are so powerful that they can result in lifelong changes.
Brings the example of Melissa: she wasn’t sleeping well, she was in pain, she was irritated with her husband. After some time of reflection, she realized: “I am fully aware of the possibility of what my life can be, and that doesn’t include you”, she told her husband, after he asked her if she was having a midlife crisis. She left him. They had been together for 14 years.
“We spend our entire adult lives taking care of our husbands, partners and children. We give ourselves so much to other people as caregivers that we lose ourselves in the process”these.
But of course, menopause does not always result in early divorce: there are ways to mitigate these difficulties. Seeking medical and emotional support through healthcare professionals, therapists or support networks, including friends and family, can help to find balance and strengthen marital bonds. Involving your partner in the process of understanding menopause and maintaining open and empathetic communication are recommended strategies for facing this period together, whenever possible and whenever there is a desire to do so, on both sides.
Seven in 10 women blame perimenopause or menopause for the end of their marriage, according to a UK survey.
