How Long Does is Take to Recover from Divorce?

I recall my lawyer and counselor telling me that it would take five years to recover from divorce. "FIVE YEARS?!" I screeched. That seemed like a lifetime. In a sense they were right. It took 2 years to emerge from my shell and craft a new life, and another 3 years before I felt like myself again. I emerged as a new person with a new lifestyle, new friends, and new goals. This process took much reflection and time.

Each person recovers according to their own time line. It is important to feel the pain, however, and to reflect on the part you played in the ending of your marriage.

One thing I learned: Although I went kicking and screaming into the divorce, I emerged a stronger person. I had a more realistic sense of who I was and what I was capable of doing. There was one other important point I realized: If Bob ever asked to return, I would not in a million years take him back, for I have moved on.

• Why it took an agonising 547 days to recover (just) from the pain of my marriage breakdown by Hanna Angel provides an excellent insight in how one person dealt with the end of her marriage. According to her, she took 18 months to recover from the initial shock.