Childhood fairy tales program many of us to believe in the vision of a happily married couple, having children, and growing old together surrounded by loving family members. But, for good or bad, hundreds of thousands of married couples either divorce or separate from each other every year. And it not always someone's fault. Divorce happens to married couples for a variety of reasons. Physical abuse, unfaithfulness, growing apart - or sometimes the two partners are just not meant for each other. But, whatever the cause, coping with divorce can put a strain on us.

One promising trend that has been taking place in the past decade or so is the growing number of divorce support groups have become sprouting up around the nation. The goal of most of them is to help men and women who are having difficulty with their divorce. A large number are run by religious groups. But many are secular and non-denominational as well. Even though, you'll find some divorce support groups that are national, you'll probably find local ones more useful, as they are tuned in to the particular and state specific divorce laws in your area of the country.

Probably the key benefit of joining a divorce support group is that you will be able to spend a great deal of time with people that have been through what you are now going through. This can help you a great deal in knowing what to expect as well as help you through the hurdles. And, you will also find much needed support for your morale.

Studies show that money is at the root of many divorces. And, ironically, part of coping with a divorce is managing to obtain or maintain the financial support that you will require to carry on with your own life. As a rule, it is less expensive for a couple to live together than for them to live apart. You only have one apartment rent or home mortgage to pay, one set of utility bills, magazine subscriptions, and the like. And, even before the divorce, the finances of many married couples are strained enough already.

These additional living expenses that a divorce forces upon the former spouses is the reason that a large number of separated couples wind up temporarily staying with relatives or friends until they can regain their financial footing. Many people feel embarrassed about this, even though they really should not. But it is something that they should think about as part of the changes in their financial situation that they are going to experience.

And, for those with children - their lives will be greatly affected as also. Aside from the self evident emotional affect, separations usually means a separation of homes as well. In thousands of cases, this results in one or more of the children being assigned to a different school district. This means they'll have to adjust to new surroundings, make new friends, become familiar with new teachers - in essence start over again. And, they are going to have to do this while watching their home life be ripped asunder.

In today's world, divorces are not uncommon at all. In fact, most children will manage to survive it pretty much unscathed. But, in many cases, you are going to have to be more attentive and tuned in to their needs than ever before if you want to help them make it through your divorce.

Social engineers have long been concerned about the growing number of divorces in the country. A number of make the charge that divorce and separation is the prime component in the destabilization of most or the moral underpinnings of the country. In addition, many also claim that the increasing number of divorces plays a large role in the growing number of children who seem to be psychologically unstable. And although, research is still out on that particular issue, what is abundantly clear is that all parties involved require help in learning to cope with divorce. And we, as a country, can all do a lot more to ensure that available help is there for all who need it.