Can England and Scotland find love again?
The analogy of of divorce was used throughout the campaign. But England and Scotland came back from the brink of separation. Can the marriage ever be the same again?
It’ll take time
“This marriage has endured a deep fracture. One side threatened a legal separation and the other construed it as an act of infidelity and insisted they would never be taken back if they left.
“Now both parties stay. Reconciliation will not happen overnight. The pair need to go through a difficult mourning process and begin a new chapter based on a deeper understanding of each other’s individual needs. Time will heal, but only if both sides are magnanimous and empathetic.”
Phillip Hodson is a psychotherapist from the Council for Psychotherapy
New energy and a renewed sense of purpose
“Couples that come back from the brink usually meet a mix of relief and anti-climax. Some are simply sucked into a state perpetual uncertainty, wondering whether their decision was cowardice or courageous. Some will be met with a sense of discontent or unease, false enthusiasm or desperation.
“But some can push themselves back from the brink to find a new sense energy, purpose and a seam of richness. For England and Scotland all options are on the table.”
Elizabeth Meakins is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice
Ditching the baggage will benefit the marriage
“For the nationalists there will be a sense of immediate disappointment. There’s always a dip after something like this. What you don’t want is for it to become a void of despair that leads to long-term depression.
“That’s why Alex Salmond has taken himself out of the equation. He realises that the union’s best future chances are without bringing his own baggage to the table. This needs to start on a clean slate.”
Paul Dickens, managing partner of Core Business Psychology, is a business psychologist based in Scotland