Many physical, mental or emotional health issues may be linked to extreme stress in a person’s life.
MarketWatch notes that the stress created from an unhappy, an unhealthy or even an abusive relationship may find a person facing serious health problems. The same may result for people going through a divorce or even after they have completed a divorce.
Some health problems may be linked directly to stress during a divorce while some may be more indirectly linked and related to the lifestyle choices people make at this time. For example, some people under extreme stress overeat, take up smoking or quit exercising.
Stress and the impact on personal health
According to Health.com, the impact of stress on a person’s health may range from the physical to the emotional to the mental arenas. In some very direct ways, stress has been shown to stimulate significant immune system activity that may result in problems associated with or caused by inflammation. High blood pressure may result from serious stress.
People who have experienced mental illnesses like depression may be more likely to experience these problems again during or after a divorce.
Health challenges for divorcing spouses over 50
When a gray divorce occurs, one that includes spouses 50 years of age or older, the risk of health problems may increase even more than when people are younger. As explained by U.S. News and World Report, a gray divorce may well be linked to an increased risk of mood changes, cognitive processing or memory problems, sleep disorders, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and more.
