Divorce can impact your health. Divorce can be extremely difficult. Study has revealed that divorcees feeling unsupported and further fuelling feelings of depression.For some, it can be dealing with increased stress.
3 Ways a divorce can impact your health -there is no denying it; divorce can be extremely difficult. With rising rates of divorce among couples across the globe, many people are finding themselves trying to navigate life post separation. In 2016, the divorce rate in India averaged 1.1 percent, according to Census Data published in The Times India. Although relatively low compared to the global rate, patterns over the last few decades show that divorce and separation rates in the country are rising slowly. However, beside the emotions that come with the life changing event, there are impacts on your health as well. For some, it can be dealing with increased stress but for others, the consequences can manifest in other ways. Read on to find out some of the ways a divorce can impact your health and what you can do about it.
Cardiovascular Health
In 2015, in the study Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes revealed that divorced women were 24 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack while men who were twice divorced were 30 percent more susceptible. The stress that can come with a divorce and the difficult period immediately after can negatively impact the inflammation levels and also contribute to hypertension. A review published in the journal, Heart supported these findings by revealing that a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease was 80 percent linked to genetics and health factors and 20 percent linked to a person’s situational factors such as partnerships. In the 2018 review, divorced participants were 35 percent more likely to develop heart disease. Getting familiar with stress management techniques such as exercise and meditation is incredibly useful in helping you to mitigate these consequences.
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Anxiety and Depression
With the end of a marriage, many people often go through stages of grief and sometimes, even feelings of self blame and failure. For those dealing with a split later in life it can be particularly difficult to navigate the consequences and emotions that come with it. As early as 1983, the long term emotional toll of divorce was established and published in The New York Times. The constant questioning of where it went wrong can easily your influence mental health negatively. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your separation, the events may leave lingering emotional scars and issues to work through.
In the Indian society, divorce is not fully embraced and even in today’s modern times, more traditional views may reject the idea of separation after marriage. This can leave divorcees feeling unsupported and further fuelling feelings of depression. If not dealt with in a healthy way, they can leave you feeling depressed about your loss and anxious about your future which may be hazy after a divorce. Establishing a strong circle of support is key. This can be either friends, family or professional counselling who will help you process to your feelings throughout the divorce process.
Impaired Weight Management
Another common impact you may notice is a change in weight and impaired judgments in weight management. This can go either way; some people turn to comfort and binge eating as a way of working through their grief while others may avoid foods and lose their appetites, leading to them being underweight and with nutritional deficiencies. Coupled with depression or anxiety over the process, people going through the process can find themselves making not so great decisions when it comes to their eating habits and over time, this can show in their health with the potential for diabetes, high cholesterol and other complications.
Although difficult, taking the time to nurture yourself and your body emotionally and physically will help you feel your best and your body will thank you for it. Finally, remember any steps towards healing whether small or large, still count. It can be as simple as making an appointment with a therapist, taking up meditation to combat stress or even re imagining your retirement plans post divorce. There are no guarantees that you will not be faced with the fall outs from a divorce in your lifetime, but there are steps that you can take to cushion the impacts that this life changing event may have on your health and your happiness.
By Cass McFoley
