Stress is a constant presence in our modern-day lives. Each day, we cope with annoying factors at every turn. And unfortunately, a unique recipe that can help everyone to make the stress disappear still does not exist. Each individual has their own attitude towards stress, their own level of resistance, and their own way that their body responds to stressful situations.
At the same time, it is severe emotional upheavals that most often provoke the development of various physical and mental illnesses. Any doctor will tell you that all your ailments and disorders are triggered by stress. But confirmation of this scientific fact does not need to be sought from the medical community. Each of us have experienced such a pattern in our lives.
The divorce process is undoubtedly one of the most stressful situations that can occur in the life of an adult. Psychologists rank divorce second after the death of a loved one in terms of psychological discomfort. Consequently, the dissolution of your marriage can have extreme negative effects on your health.
If you or your spouse are initiating divorce proceedings, you should accept the fact that in the next few months you will be facing a difficult and emotional time. Let’s try to find out what aspects of your health can be impacted by your divorce and what you should pay attention to avoid harmful effects on your well-being!
Depression: The First Enemy Of Your Mental Health After Divorce
The accumulation of all the negative emotions can manifest into depression. The danger of depression is that such a mental disorder is difficult to diagnose, as it can take a long time for people around you to notice mood changes and other symptoms. Moreover, the experience of clinical depression is often accompanied by a significant decrease in vitality and chronic apathy.
Another unpleasant side of this kind of mental disturbance is that depression is often underestimated and not considered a serious illness. But clinical acute forms need medical treatment, because you will most likely not be able to manage advanced cases on your own without the help of psychotherapy. Advice from your friends, like ‘change your routine,’ ‘just cheer up,’ and ‘ignore the problem,’ can actually be more harmful than helpful.
If you ignore or underestimate the severity of this problem, allowing it to manifest into symptoms of depression, you endanger not only your mental health, but your physical health as well. Feel free to contact specialists with questions that concern you. Depression is a serious disease that can and must be treated!
An Organism In Stress Is Fertile Ground For Bad Habits
Danger lurks closer than you think. The most evil enemies of your body can always be found at arm’s length away. When you are under stress, your consciousness gradually adapts to the new reality, and your body subconsciously searches for ways to blockout what irritates you. Unfortunately, an organism that is under stress is a perfect environment for the birth of bad habits which can slowly destroy your health.
When you are upset, you ignore proper nutrition, stop counting calories, and give in to little weaknesses that can negatively affect you and turn into big problems. Any addiction starts out as fairly harmless. You may think that a regular cigarette every half hour is helping to calm you down, but in fact, this is nothing more than a grandiose manifestation of self-deception for your body.
An occasional glass of wine or serving of whiskey before bed to help you relax can turn into the beginning of alcohol abuse, becoming a daily habit that keeps increasing. But these frightening manifestations of addiction can be avoided by replacing unhealthy habits with more creative regular activities.
This may surprise you, but half an hour of meditation several times a week, even at a basic primitive level, like breathing yoga, morning jogging, or any physical exercise, can normalize your mental state much more effectively than various tranquilizing substances. It really works!
Decreased Immunity: The Inevitable Companion Of Crisis Situations
Any time your health deteriorates due to being in a stressful situation, the direct result is a sharp decrease in your immunity. Your body is weakened by the chaotic and unpredictable behavior of your hormones during stress. Over time it can simply refuse to cope with the slightest irritants. In such a situation, it is not uncommon to catch a cold, feel a slight malaise, or worse.
The permanent state of apathy and the lack of interest in life due to stress can cause a person to simply ignore the basic rules of personal safety related to health. Try not to cross this thin line during and after the divorce process! Always try to take precautions in advance of a possible decrease in immunity. Keep in mind that, in most cases, the most basic items and simple actions help prevent the development of diseases.
Eating Disorders: The Dark Side Of Stress Management
Already in this review we have talked about various types of psychological and physical dependencies which can begin to appear unexpectedly against the background of the stress provoked by the divorce process. Along with nicotine, alcohol, sedatives, and other medicines that are used in inadequate dosages, even food can be subject to addiction. Or vice versa…
Eating disorders can manifest as extremes on both sides. Eating large amounts of carbohydrates and fats can be a common reaction to stress. This, in turn, can manifest into other unhealthy eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa, in which the overeating is followed by depression and an obsessive desire to lose weight, including self-induced vomiting or fasting. The consequences of the lack of control over one’s own nutrition can negatively affect all body systems.
Among the most common consequences of such disorders are sudden weight loss, overweight, metabolic disorders, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and digestive system. Remember that your main task at the first signs of a stressful situation is to try to control your emotions and not let the situation control you.
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Sleep Problems, Biorhythm Disturbances, And The Inability To Observe The Daily Routine
During prolonged psychological stress and especially critically stressful situations, the nervous system suffers. Divorce proceedings may take up more of your life resources than you suspect. This also applies to your free time. Constant lack of sleep, multiplied by other manifestations of stress, can lead to serious sleep disturbances.
Regular bouts of insomnia and sleep deprivation are fraught with a distorted perception of reality and an inability to think clearly. But it is precisely composure, clarity of consciousness, and prudence that are most important in a situation where you need to make decisions quickly and accurately.
Faces Of Anxiety: Keep Calm When Everything Is Burning
Divorce is not considered a force majeure circumstance, and you cannot take sick leave due to this change in your family life. At the same time, you need to remain in a healthy state to effectively resolve current issues, despite your situation feeling out of control. Anxiety can develop if you are unsuccessfully at coping with the stress, allowing emotions to take over.
A loose psyche is as serious a problem as a neglected disease. It can affect each of the body’s systems. Take care of your mental health! And your current problems with the preparation of your divorce can be taken care of by special services.
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