Divorce can be one of the most stressful times in one's life. Next to the death of a family member or close friend, moving homes or losing a job, the loss one experiences when a marriage ends is an event that ranks up there as one of the most stressful of all times, taking an incredible toll on one's mental and physical health.
The physical toll of divorce can take the form of weight loss, difficulty sleeping, eating, or exercising. These are only a few of the outward physical manifestations and new research suggests that people undergoing a divorce can also experience internal manifestations. The new research indicates that people with marital strife face similar problems as spouses caring for a loved one with Alzhiemer's disease including telemere patterns associated with a four to eight year shortening of life span. A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the ends of chromosomes, which protects the end of the chromosome from destruction. They insulate and protect the ends of chromosomes and with aging, they shorten and the activity of a related enzyme also declines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomere
In a series of experiments, scientists at Ohio State University studied the relationship between marital strife and immune response, as measured by the time it takes for a wound to heal. The researchers recruited married couples who submitted to a small suction device that left eight tiny blisters on the arm. The couples then engaged in different types of discussions, sometimes positive and supportive, at other times focused on a topic of conflict. After a marital conflict, the wounds took a full day longer to heal. Among couples who exhibited high levels of hostility, the wound healing took two days longer than those who showed less animosity.
I agree with Janice Kiecolt-Glaser's conclusion, an Ohio State scientist who is an author of much of the research, that if you can't fix a marriage you're better off out of it. Although with a divorce you are going to have a period of high stress and acrimony that can affect your immune system and emotional and physical health, enduring the day to day strife of an unhealthy and even abusive marriage can take an even greater toll on one's health in the long run.
For the complete article on the Ohio State research study click on this link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/health/04well.html
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