Meno divorce explained: Can menopause strain marriages? Expert answers

Meno divorce is when a divorce takes place at a time when women is going through either perimenopause or menopause. (Picture Credit: Pexels)

• 'Meno divorce' refers to women seeking divorce during perimenopause or menopause
• Hormonal and emotional changes can lower tolerance for marital issues
• Menopause leads to self-reflection, identity questions, and relationship reassessment.

Did our AI summary help?

Divorces are on the rise. To the disbelief of many, this phenomenon is being witnessed among couples cutting across age groups. However, do you know about the term 'meno divorce'? For the uninitiated, this is a term that is used to describe cases where a woman decides to take a divorce at a time when she is either going through perimenopause or menopause.

Relationship expert Ruchi Ruuh explains when a woman goes through perimenopause or menopause, she experiences a lot of hormonal changes. This in turn affects her energy levels, her sense of self, her libido, among many other things. Picture this: When a woman is already grappling with so many changes that she fails to wrap her head around, it is possible that her tolerance for other things will go down. This explains why a woman begins to see existing problems within a relationship a lot differently.

"For many women, during this phase, for many women out there, it becomes a period of profound self-reflection. This is the time when women find it difficult to put up with things that they once were able to tolerate," shared Ruuh.

Also read: Prada to launch Rs 85,000 'Make in India' sandals, collaborates with Maharashtra and Karnataka artisans

It's not to suggest that women are the ones to blame for feeling a certain way, but somehow a combination of factors lead women into thinking that they are better off without a marriage.

What exactly happens during perimenopause and menopause

Emotionally overwhelmed

Hormonal changes can lower a woman’s capacity to process and regulate their emotions in a better way. They find it difficult to cope with a lot of things that they once were okay with. The result? A woman grows jaded and tired, and thinks in the direction of seeking liberation from things that bother her, Ruuh explained.

Questions around self identity loom large

During menopause, many women start asking questions related to their identity like 'Who am I beyond being a wife, mother, or caregiver?' It is questions like these that make women dig deeper. In cases where women feel their potential is untapped and their identity is contained, the problem begins.

Change in perspective

Many women realise that they’ve been carrying the mental load for decades without much appreciation or effort from their partner. This is when they start thinking about themselves and how they can evolve to realise their true potential. If they feel their marriage is hindering their progress in some way, they even seek to end it.

Bodily changes

During perimenopause and menopause, a woman goes through a gamut of bodily changes. Changes in libido, body image, or physical discomfort can widen the emotional and physical distance with their spouses. In cases where the latter is ignorant and not empathetic, women begin to feel disenchanted in a relationship and this is when the problem festers.

From her experience, Ruuh shared that she has come across many women who have told her, 'Nothing dramatic happened. I just woke up and realised I’ve been lonely for decades'. On this, Ruuh highlighted that in these cases, divorces are not impulsive, but rather an outcome of years of unmet emotional needs.

Also read: World's heaviest gold dress is priced at a whopping Rs 9.65 crore; Details inside

To sum it up, Ruuh opined, "Menopause doesn’t cause the divorce; it simply removes the emotional cushioning that once kept the marriage afloat."