Today, we’re launching a new package at Scary Mommy, and it’s all about divorce. It’s a topic that inspires a lot of feelings and — frankly — a lot of confusion, on everybody’s part. And so today’s newsletter is all about answering some of the questions you might have, whether you’re starting this process, deep in it, or supporting a friend who is.

First up: let’s talk about what happens when the word “divorce” comes up in a fight. “A deep sigh, followed by an eye roll, then a slammed door… and before you know it, all hell breaks loose and the big D rears its ugly head,” writes Candace Nagy. “Without any intent to see it through, that's exactly what that word is: a threat. A threat that, according to a marriage therapist, has the power to activate your survival instincts and send you into a state of fear. And it's toxic AF.” Here’s what you need to know.

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

“I’m not an easily offended person,” writes Sarah Aswell. “I have a pretty easy time not taking things personally or shrugging off things that I could decide to brood over. But I was more than a little surprised by some of the things people said to me in the year after my divorce.” So today, she’s giving you some guidance about what you should absolutely not say to your newly divorced friend — and what to say instead.