After his divorce from Aesha Mukherjee, former cricket player Shikhar Dhawan has been candid about the severe emotional toll of being apart from his kid, Zoravar.
Dhawan said in an emotional interview with ANI that it has been more than a year since they last spoke and two years since he last saw his kid. “I wish him well and happiness. Despite being blocked, I still message him every three or four days. I don’t think he’ll read them. It is my responsibility to reach out, therefore I don’t mind if he doesn’t read them. I will keep doing it,” Dhawan said.
In order to maintain a relationship with his 11-year-old kid, the cricket player disclosed that he practices spirituality. I haven’t seen my kid in two years, and I haven’t spoken to him in a year. You learn to live with it, even though it has been challenging. I talk to him spiritually and miss him. Through affirmations, I feel as though I am holding him and talking to him every day. I invested my spiritual energy on it. I can only bring my baby back in this way,” Dhawan said.
“I immediately have the impression that I’m with him, chatting and playing with him. “I visualise those things when I sit for my meditation,” he continued. “I have only known my 11-year-old son for two and a half years of his life.”
Dhawan’s predicament highlights significant issues about the effects of divorce on parents and kids, particularly when one parent’s access is limited. His decision to pursue spirituality as a way to stay emotionally connected provides a different viewpoint on how to handle such upsetting separations.
Effects of extended parental separation on the emotional growth of a kid
“Parental absence, particularly during a child’s formative years, can lead to attachment disruptions,” psychologist Anjali Gursahaney told indianexpress.com. Later in life, young children who are removed from a parent may exhibit avoidant or anxious attachment patterns. As youngsters depend on parental guidance to manage emotions like grief, rage, or frustration, emotional regulation can also become difficult. They can find it difficult to properly control their emotions without this assistance.
She adds that extended separation, especially if it is unjustified, can affect a child’s identity and sense of self, causing them to feel rejected or confused about their value. According to research, children who see parental absence without enough justification may also be more susceptible to anxiety and depression because of the ambiguity and emotional emptiness that can lead to elevated stress levels, Gursahaney continues.
Resilience elements, however, are essential for reducing these impacts. Children can manage better and develop emotional stability and security by being in a supportive setting, communicating openly with the present parent, and receiving constant assurances of the love of the absent parent.
The function of spirituality, meditation, and other scientifically supported therapeutic techniques
According to Gursahaney, “mindfulness and meditation can be effective strategies for lowering emotional distress, cultivating inner peace, and preserving a sense of connection even when one is physically apart.” In a same vein, spiritual activities like energy work, prayer, or visualising a bond with a child can provide solace and a sense of intimacy.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another successful strategy, the expert says. It assists people in better managing their emotional discomfort and restructuring unfavourable thinking habits. Building emotional resilience may also be greatly aided by self-compassion exercises, such as practicing self-kindness rather than self-blame.
Grief and tension that are held in the body can also be processed with the use of somatic healing practices like yoga, breathwork, and trauma-informed body movement. Gursahaney adds, “A sense of purpose and emotional relief can also be obtained by performing altruistic activities, such as helping other kids, mentoring, or volunteering in the community, which makes the experience of separation easier to handle.”
