Episode 213: Why More People are Staying in Unhappy Marriages

The world feels uncertain right now.

And when the world feels uncertain, we tend to hold tighter to what feels familiar.

Even when what’s familiar doesn’t feel particularly good.

Sharon is seeing more women choosing to stay in unhappy, disconnected marriages right now. Not because their marriages have gotten better, but because everything outside the marriage feels less certain.

The marriage you were once seriously considering leaving can suddenly feel safer than the unknown of divorce.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve changed your mind about the marriage.

It means something else may matter more right now.

In this episode, Sharon explores what happens when the question, “Should I stay or go?” gets quieter and you find yourself choosing to stay in a marriage you’re not sure you would choose under different circumstances.

Through the story of Evelyn, who is married to a man who can feel like two entirely different people depending on whether he’s sober or high, we’ll look at what it means to make peace with a marriage that isn’t what you want it to be.

Because acceptance isn’t helplessness.

Acceptance is getting honest about what is true, what you can control, and what you’re choosing from here.

We’ll also talk about something that has to be part of any honest conversation about divorce in midlife: money.