A study scheduled to be published in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, analyzes data from nearly 9,000 adults nationwide, ages 51 to 61, and finds those who had been divorced or widowed suffered 20 percent more chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer, than individuals who were currently married.
So, yes, it would appear that divorce can be bad for your health. Any change in lifestyle can cause depression and anxiety along with physical ailments that are stress induced.
I always encourage people going through a divorce to seek counseling to help them deal with and process the emotional issues that come up during divorce. According to the new study people should also have a doctor on hand.
Staying in touch with your family doctor, going for a check up will help stem off illnesses brought on by the stress that accompanies divorce. If you have a history of high blood pressure it makes sense to make sure that the stress you are experiencing during your divorce does not…read more
divorce difficult and unfortunate for the children involved.
I wonder what the health impact is for children of divorce? Have you heard of any studies focusing on that aspect?
The best way to protect your health: Don’t Get Married.
Ladies who have sons: Teach them at an early age what happens to guys who say “I do”. You spent decades raising that kid; don’t let him become meat for the sausage factory.
How does that compare to the health of widowed people? People who are unhappily married? People who are stuck in an abusive marriage. My health has improved by leaps and bounds now that I no longer live with the daily tension and stress of an abusive marriage. My children don’t get sick every few weeks, either. I don’t advocate frivolous divorces, but divorce is NOT bad for everyone.
I agree with Karen. I think the study could be faulty and limited. Anyone stuck in a continually stressful marriage is bound to feel the negative health impacts. It could be that the poor marriage was the source of their high blood pressure in first place. Not every divorce has to be a nightmare either.