PTSD
A lot of litigants, particularly ones who have been abused, have PTSD. The three most common symptoms are:
- Hyper-arousal (sleep disruption, buzzing about as if one were hyperactive);
- Re-experiencing (nightmares, intrusive thoughts); and
- Numbing-avoidance (which was the only way to live through the trauma in the first place).
Particularly the symptom of avoidance may make it almost impossible for the traumatized litigant to confront the issues that need to be faced in the divorce.