I disagree with the statement that divorce is never as bad as losing someone to death. On the contrary, suffering as a result of divorce is similar to experiencing a loved one’s death in many aspects. According to Kanel (2019), grief and the associated emotions are “felt by those who are emotionally close to dying individuals and can even be observed in individuals suffering a relationship breakup” (p. 114). Mourning the loss is a difficult process that cannot be generalized or compared since people react to traumatic events in different ways. In this regard, the counselor can evaluate the client’s state using Kiibler-Ross’s framework of five stages of death and dying: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (Kanel, 2019). These emotions are experienced by individuals dealing with a close one’s passing, as well as by people going through separation and divorce.
In my view, the impact of divorce and the death of a loved one should not be compared. I know individuals who struggled with depression as a result of a loss. In each of these cases, separation and the spouse’s passing had a remarkable impact on the emotional state and the course of life of the affected person. Both experiences are traumatic and can cause significant pain and mental struggle to the individual, depending on the context and a variety of other factors. For example, the level of attachment, the overall situation, or religious beliefs can be detrimental to one’s grief reactions. Therefore, it would be a generalization to state that divorce is never as bad as losing someone to death. From the counseling perspective, it is critical to help clients deal with their grief resulting from loss.
Reference
Kanel, K. (2019). A guide to crisis intervention (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.