Dimova Mitulja: Emotional unavailability the most common reason for divorce

Psychologist Katerina Dimova Mitulja from Skopje believes that emotional unavailability between partners is one of the most common reasons for divorce in the region.

Speaking to Kosovo Online, she said that the entire region is seeing a growing trend of divorces, something she also observes in her own practice.

"Out of every five clients, at least two are going through a divorce. The reasons I most often see are emotional unavailability, lack of communication, social pressure regarding what a marriage is supposed to look like, and differing expectations between partners. Financial, or economic, factors certainly play a role as well, but from an emotional perspective, the biggest reason for divorce is the emotional distancing between partners, which develops over the course of years. It does not happen overnight, but after five to eight years," Dimova Mitulja said.

She noted that divorce is much more difficult when the separating partners have children.

"When we work with clients, we are often, for example, also in contact with their lawyers, and we can see that court proceedings related to child support are very long and exhausting, both for the parents and for the children themselves. Emotional problems and difficulties also arise. In terms of stress, divorce is the second most difficult life event after the death of a partner. Anxiety, depression, sadness, fear, and anger all emerge. All of these stages are completely normal, but I would say that, with appropriate professional support and a strong support system for the person going through a divorce, they can be overcome," the psychologist concluded.