Can Clinical Depression Lead to Divorce?

Clinical depression is vastly different from simply feeling depressed or down. It is a medical condition in which your depression may seem like it has no cause, and it can be overwhelming. Those who suffer from it often need therapy and/or medication as a result. It also does not discriminate, and it doesn’t matter how “good” your life appears from the outside. Anyone can have depression.

In some cases, depression can be so bad that it does lead to divorce. This is especially true if it gets worse over time or really changes one person so that they do not seem like the person they were before.

For instance, one man said that his wife suffered from crippling depression after having their child. She changed dramatically. He was worried. It impacted their relationship on numerous levels, and he even worried so much that she wouldn’t properly care for their baby that he set up a camera to keep an eye on her when he couldn’t be in the house.

The greatest odds of divorce from this type of mental disorder may happen when someone refuses to get treatment or does not stay on their medication. Their partner may try to help and support them for months or years, but they may finally feel that they just cannot do enough. They may decide they need a new beginning; in the example above, it could even be because they fear for their children’s well-being.

Divorce when dealing with mental illness can be very complex. Make sure you know what steps to take.