{"id":1376,"date":"2021-08-04T19:49:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T02:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adamclarklcsw.com\/?p=1376"},"modified":"2022-05-19T17:53:17","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T00:53:17","slug":"losing-a-pet-due-to-divorce-or-breakup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adamclarklcsw.com\/2021\/08\/04\/losing-a-pet-due-to-divorce-or-breakup\/","title":{"rendered":"Losing a Pet Due to Divorce or Breakup"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many times when people hear the words\u00a0grief<\/a> or\u00a0grieving\u00a0the natural assumption is that we are grieving due to physical death. Grief,\u00a0however, impacts us on many levels and presents in many different forms. We grieve for\u00a0dreams<\/a>\u00a0we cannot achieve, abilities that we once had that we may have lost, and we certainly grieve when saying goodbye, even when saying goodbye might have been the healthiest choice for us.<\/p>\n Experiencing a breakup or\u00a0divorce<\/a>\u00a0is intrinsically painful as we remove our associated\u00a0identity<\/a> with our loved ones. It can feel painful as we redefine who we are, and scary at times.\u00a0Our body experiences the similar and healthy processes of grief as though we experienced their death<\/a>. In a sense, we may be\u00a0emotionally grieving their death,\u00a0although\u00a0they keep on living.<\/p>\n For many animal lovers and pet parents, the loss of a four-legged family member in this way can be just as painful, if not more painful, than the loss of their previous partner due to breakup or divorce.<\/p>\n Connection With Our Partner’s\u00a0Pets<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Sharing our lives with a partner means opening our hearts to pets that they consider family, and growing (many times quickly) to love our new four-legged friends. We consider them family and for many, pets become the first non-human children in the partnership.<\/p>\n