ABSTRACT
Divorce appears as a highly emotionally traumatic experience that has a major adverse impact on psychological well-being. The participants' scores on the General Health Questionnaires reveal that divorcing people report a range of symptoms indicative of acute psychological distress, which are worryingly severe in some cases. Symptoms of tension, irritability and anxiety predominate. Laura's case illustrates the way in which the acknowledgement of anger can ward off symptoms of depression and despair; being angry provided her with a means to resist experiencing despair. The narratives collected in the unstructured interviews permit some insight into the personal meanings of these distressing symptoms. Others reported feeling at times that they had lost confidence in their ability to 'carry on any more'. In psychoanalytic terms, ambivalence implies a 'depressive' position, in which positive and negative feelings can co-exist in an integrated manner. Participants' responses indicate the wide range of negative and painful feelings associated with breaking up.
