This section is written just as much for the straight spouse as it is for the gay or bisexual married person.

The Ending of a Relationship

We enter into relationships for all sorts of reasons, the not least being love, friendship, and being comfortable with each other. The latter can be quite easily destroyed when things start to go wrong.

If a relationship breaks up, this can be quite devastating for one or both parties. In some ways, it can be worse than the bereavement caused by death - for a start, death is final, and there is no hope of the relationship being restored in this life.

So the break up of a relationship, arguably is a form of bereavement and all that goes with it, if not more.

Potential Stages

These are some of the stages that one can go through, in no particular order, and there may be others, not mentioned here:

This is not an easy time for anyone, and different people cope with it in different ways. Some people never manage to come to terms with it, and have difficulty getting on with their life - for them, time stands still. Others do manage to come to terms with it and perhaps in time to find a new partner.

We all have our different ways of coping with such things, but unless we can move on ......

There are support groups that can help with this, for instance:

USA - Suicide and Crisis Hotlines

UK - The Samaritans

The important thing is to remember that in time of crisis, you do not have to suffer alone - there are people out there who are prepared to listen and talk it through with you...........