Walk Away Wife Syndrome
You may have never heard the term “walk away wife syndrome” but chances are you are familiar with the concept. A walk away wife is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a wife who seemingly abruptly separates from her husband or files for a divorce after years of what seemed (to others) like a happy stable marriage. This move is often a shock to her husband, her family, and friends. The truth is that the walk away wife has probably been planning her exit for quite a while and something finally triggers her to act on her plans.
The Walk Away Wife scenario usually plays out something like this: A couple begins dating and they fall in love. The man is showering her with attention and affection. The two become friends and they truly enjoy each other’s company. He shows her in tangible ways that he loves her, is committed to her, and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. The couple gets married and soon she begins to notice that her husband is not as attentive or as affectionate as he once was. She may excuse this behavior because of the stressors in life that have come along; after all there’s pressure at work and the children need constant attention. Over time she may notice that he stays late at work on purpose, is distracted when he is at home, he isn’t helping her with the household duties or with caring for the children, he makes social plans with friends that exclude her, he spends a lot of time and money on his hobbies, and only shows her any affection when he wants sex. She begins to suggest that there’s something wrong with the relationship and asks him to go with her to Marriage Counseling. He insists that they are fine, and that he’s happy with the way things are. After years of trying to improve the relationship on her own and getting very little cooperation from him she will decide that she’s had enough, and she will walk away.
Often, her leaving and filing for a divorce will be a HUGE wake up call for him. Many husbands, like our fictitious guy in the story, will hop into action at this point. He will make promises, call counselors to set up appointments, send flowers, and make every attempt to win her back. Unfortunately, these attempts are seen by her as “too little, too late”. She will try to make him understand that he cannot undo years of neglect. She will tell him that if he had just once cooperated after the countless times that she begged him to go with her to get some help for their marriage that things would be different. She will ask him “Why did it take me filing for a divorce for you to take me seriously?”
Is this scenario familiar? If so, please hear this, there is hope, it doesn’t have to end like this! We at BC&C deal with walk away wives (and husbands) regularly. With a little work, we can help you get your happy marriage back. Call us Today. (904) 885-0215