A study found that 73% of women attribute their divorce to menopause—coinciding with the ages 45 to 55 when most divorces happen—but why is that?
Sex
My libido hit rock bottom. So low, I couldn’t even think about sex. My husband kept trying, but I kept avoiding him. I told him I was sorry, but even the thought of being intimate gave me chills. Understandably, he got hurt, and we divorced. My libido still hasn’t returned, so I’m doing just fine on my own.
Hair Loss
I never had much hair, but during menopause, I lost half of what little I had. It led to depression—I didn’t want to be around people and couldn’t even look in the mirror. So when my husband said he wanted a divorce, it barely fazed me anymore.
Understanding
I divorced because my husband—let’s just say—wasn’t very understanding. He didn’t care that I couldn’t sleep and was exhausted the next day, or that the intense hot flashes made me dread summer outings, or how much mood swings drained me. I told him this was menopause, and though I was trying to keep living my usual life, it was really tough. He dismissed it as female drama, like a period. I didn’t need that kind of stress on top of everything, so I moved out myself.
Mood Swings
Everything irritated me—my husband, kids, friends, relatives, but mostly my husband since we spent the most time together. We argued so much and said such hurtful things that we finally agreed we didn’t want to live together anymore.
Impatience
My worst symptom was severe vaginal dryness. We tried every lubricant and cream, but “down there” I turned into an unfixable desert. My husband needed almost daily sex, and I couldn’t give that to him—he wasn’t satisfied with alternative methods. Six months after menopause started, he left. A year later, I was on hormone therapy, my symptoms disappeared, and now I have a new partner with amazing sex. I’m living my best life in the bedroom. If my husband had been more patient, we might have stayed together, but after 25 years of marriage, he just couldn’t wait.
The Fog
My worst symptom was brain fog. This was especially tough because we ran a business together. I had to step back from my role until my symptoms eased, which was a critical move. My husband ended up with twice the workload, and I don’t think he handled it well, leading to intense fights. We eventually sold the company because it wasn’t working, and once that shared part of our lives ended, we decided we didn’t need to stay together either.
Anxiety
I was crippled by anxiety that took over my life. My husband waited two years for it to pass, then said I wasn’t the woman he married and moved on.
Clarity
Menopause also brought a new clarity—I no longer wanted to please anyone. I’d spent my whole life putting my family first, and after years of hard work, I faced this painful, unfair phase. I endured 49 years of painful periods, three childbirths, breastfeeding, and now, in my later years, menopause too? I decided to be a little selfish and focus on myself, which my husband didn’t handle well, so I said goodbye to him too. (No regrets.)
The Replacement
Because of my symptoms, I didn’t want to have sex, so my husband quickly found someone else—a younger woman—and they’re still together today.
