Ok, my wife and I are separated but not divorced yet. We are working on the paper work for it now. She is the one who wants the divorce and I am still madly in love with her. We are going to stay friends because it was not a bad divorce. She grew apart from me and lost interest in the relationship. I am having a very hard time dealing with this situation. I keep forgetting we are not together anymore and wanting to do things for her like I always have done when we were together. And I keep expecting her to want to spend time with me when she doesn't because I am having such a hard time with it all. What should I do to help get over this situation and move on. She is adamant about the divorce and shows no signs of changing her mind. I'm lost without her.
Reading about your pain reminds me of the pain I went through in a similar situation. I however I chose not to remain friends....I just could not remain friends with someone who caused me that much pain. I don't know how I got from that place of pain (without help) to where I am today, a much happier and healthier individual, but I did. I made it. Everyone has a different way of dealing with this devastating pain and I'm not sure that I have any great pearls of wisdom to offer except to pass on the things that helped me. If you have access to professional help consider going that route. (I did not and looking back I think it would have taken less time to heal if I had). Take small steps, one at a time, and don't beat yourself up when you take a couple of steps back. Allow yourself to go through the grieving process. (This was a really important step for me.) Keep busy, even if you have to force yourself. Create a list of things that will bring you some happiness (something to look forward to); music, exercise, joining a group etc. Life will feel surreal for a while but that will change. You have to let go..easier said than done I know...but you will get there. Just have faith in yourself and look forward to that new person and life that will appear at the end of this journey. Peace to you.
Take a deep breath, you have to deal with the situation. It seems hopeless sometimes, but you can get through it.You can make a good future for yourself.Live your life with the attitude nothing is impossible, & no one will stand in your way. Hold your head up high, and make a good life for yourself.
Find a new hobby or focus. Restart some old ones. Track down some old friends or make some new ones. Join a focus group of some sort that puts people together who like the same things. What is it you like to do for you? Do you travel? Run those little remote control vehicles? Board games? Paint? Woodworking? Would you like to learn to do any of those things? Take care of you for a while. Figure yourself out, shake things up, make some smaller changes. Nothing big, just little personal, hobby related things.
Separations and divorces are not easy. Change is not easy. Been there, done that and survived. It is painful for a while but once you do find another focus it will become a bit less difficult. Time will take care of the rest.
While it feels like that at first, if and when you move on to dating another woman that feeling will gradually fade with the passing of time.
Most states require at least one reconciliation hour as proof of divorce necessity or continued marital counseling. ...insisting upon your rights to alimony on top of reconciliation might work if you make less money than she does. ...all this presumes neither of you have children
You are not alone. There are many wonderful people on this site with therapeutic advice.
YouTube “your mind on breakups” it at least helps explain the “why” scientifically. Still doesn’t help heal the heart but at least the mind will understand it’s roll in all this pain.
I would recommend finding a good counselor to talk to. That can be hard to do, but well worth it. Just an objective third party to bounce my feelings off was helpful. I'm incredibly sentimental and still in love with every woman I ever loved - whether it was my choice or hers to end the relationship.
Sucks, but you have to remove yourself from the situation. It's the only way you'll get closure.