When your parents split up, it's absolutely normal to have some very strong emotions. You might have only one emotion for a while, or you might keep having different ones. You might even have a lot of different feelings all at once.
It's impossible to describe all the specific things you might feel, but here are some of the most common emotions teens experience when their parents are getting divorced:
Remember: There are no right or wrong feelings to have when your parents split up. Your feelings are real and normal.
Shock
Shock, or feeling suddenly disturbed, is a normal reaction to a traumatic experience. It's your body's way of protecting you in a difficult situation. Shock might make you feel dazed and distracted. It might make you feel numb or like crying all the time. Shock will pass.
Confusion
Confusion is when you feel like you don’t know or understand what’s going on. If you don't have enough information about what is happening in your family and why, you may feel confused. If you are confused, ask questions.
Guilt
Teens often feel guilty when their parents split up, as if they’re responsible for what has happened. But parents split up because of problems in their relationship, not because of their kids. It's not your fault!
Anger
Once the shock begins to fade, you might feel angry, especially at your parents—for causing this to happen, for not working hard enough to prevent it, for letting you down. After all, you didn't ask for this! Anger is a normal, healthy emotion that everyone experiences.
Anger only becomes unhealthy when you show it in ways that hurt yourself or others, or when you keep it all inside. Anger itself isn't good or bad, but the way you choose to handle it can have a good or bad result.
Many people have a hard time handling their anger because they haven't been taught how to deal with it in a healthy way.
If you need to let off steam before you can express your anger in a positive way, try
If you find that you’re angry often or that you become violent when you’re angry, talk to someone who can help.
Anxiety
Anxiety is the strong, uncomfortable feeling of being afraid. Anxiety is a normal emotional response to danger. The uncertainty that comes with your parents splitting up can make you anxious because there are probably so many things you don’t know: what’s going to happen, where you’re going to live, how you’ll cope with all the changes, and so on. You might feel like you have to take sides or choose between your parents, which could make you feel anxious.
You might also be worried about your own relationships in the future. You might think that because your parents have separated or divorced, the same thing will happen to you. But you can learn from your parents' mistakes. What happens in your own relationships will be up to you, not your parents! If your anxiety is lasting a long time or if it’s getting in the way of your ability to do the things you normally do, get help.
Relief
Some teens actually feel relieved when their parents split up, especially if there has been a lot of fighting and tension between the parents. Some teens also feel a little guilty about feeling relieved. But there is nothing wrong with feeling relieved about the end of a difficult time. It's completely normal!
Sadness
You might feel sad—like you’re mourning the loss of your old life and the way your family used to do things. It's a lot like the sadness you feel when someone close to you has died. You might be missing the parent you don't see every day, or even missing the parent you do see every day because he or she is working more or is distracted or irritable because of stress.
Sadness is natural, and it's OK to feel sad, but there are things you can do to help yourself feel better. If the sadness lasts a long time or it’s making it hard for you to do the things you normally do, get help.
Embarrassment
Some teens feel embarrassed when their parents split up, like it's not "cool" to be upset. These feelings are natural, and it’s best to accept them and do things to help yourself feel better.
You might also be worried about what other people will think. But separation and divorce are very common these days.
Hope
Many teens really believe that their parents will get back together, and they try hard to make it happen by being on their best behavior. Sometimes this is a way of denying what’s really happening in order to protect yourself from the painful reality. But it’s likely that your parents reached this point only after trying very hard to save their relationship, and their decision to split up is final. It's hard, but it's probably best for you to begin to accept the situation as it really is and get used to the changes that you’re facing so you can get on with your life.