What should I do if my husband wants a divorce?
Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.
– Written by
Ann Landers
– Updated on September 7, 2025
Question
My husband ask me for a divorce the other day. I am devastated. He said I’m not the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. It’s over. We have been together for 5 years. When its good , its really good. But when its bad its miserable. He blames me for almost all of our arguments. I suggested counseling, separating,seeing a pastor.
He refuses. The day after he broke the news, I noticed he took his ring off. I am so hurt. He said he is setting the stage. I feel like he is breaking his commitment to our marriage before we even file. Please advise me, how should I react? Thanks.
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Answer
First, let me say that you have my sympathy. You’re confronted with a very difficult, very painful turn of events, and I wish you well in navigating yourself through them.
Generically, you can think of relationships in trouble as either being savable or not. To fall within the category of savable relationships, both partners must still want to save the marriage, and be willing to work to make the relationship work. There must be a continuing spark of attraction and loyalty in both partners or the relationship will fail. If that spark has extinguished in one or both partners, then the relationship is dead, and no amount of work by a single partner who still feels that flame will bring it back. One partner working alone cannot save a relationship.
It seems to happen often enough that one partner’s flame of attraction and loyalty dies out without the other knowing that this has occurred. The partner who is leaving has time to get used to the idea that their love is dying, and can grieve in their way, while the other partner doesn’t have this knowledge, and gets caught by surprise when the bomb ultimately drops. The leaving partner has already grieved prior to this event and remains cool while the left-behind partner goes into shock.
It looks to me that this pattern I’ve described is a fair approximation of what you’re describing yourself caught up in. If you agree, the right move is to accept that the relationship is dead and not waste time and energy trying to rekindle something that is already dead. Go scream and wail and cry (as you would at a funeral), and then figure out what your life will look like post-divorce. Get yourself a lawyer and look out for your interests. The world is ever-renewing, and if you give yourself some time, you will find your way.
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Jesse Hanson, Ph.D., is a somatic psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in clinical psychology and neuropsychology.
Ann Landers was a writer who specialized in offering advice from the perspective of a mentor or friend. She wrote blogs focused on friendship, romantic relationships, heartbreak, and beyond.
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Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.
– Written by
Ann Landers
– Updated on September 7, 2025
Additional Reading
The Clinical Affairs Team at MentalHealth.com is a dedicated group of medical professionals with diverse and extensive clinical experience. They actively contribute to the development of content, products, and services, and meticulously review all medical material before publication to ensure accuracy and alignment with current research and conversations in mental health. For more information, please visit the Editorial Policy.
We are a health technology company that guides people toward self-understanding and connection. The platform provides reliable resources, accessible services, and nurturing communities. Its purpose is to educate, support, and empower people in their pursuit of well-being.