A Great Relationship Equals Great Health

There is the perception that married people live longer and are healthier than single people. To support this insight are studies which showed married people are healthier, notch up a few more years of longevity, and increased happiness, when compared with unmarried people.

The new marriage rules support closeness and falling in love, but by the time most couples reach their tenth anniversary, many are already familiar and know how to handle several ups and downs of marriage. The truth is you have had a few disagreement over who should pick the children from school, but also mastered the art of  negotiating visits with the in-laws, calm down children at each other’s throats, and soothe each other when frustration rears its head at work and when contemplating house move. Many caring relationships are linked to better health and the lack of a caring relationship is a risk factor.

The Healthy Aspect of Marriage

There are three reasons by experts why marriage may help improve your health:

First, taking unnecessary risk and drug abuse plummet when couples marry, much more than if they just living together. There is more commitment to each other’s health.

Second, being married is the closest relationship you can get. What this means is that you have a partner and a close source of support at arm’s reach, one who readily helps you keep healthy habits, and becomes a solid influence on your behaviour. One who reminds you to eat right, and to drink moderately. Contrarily unhappy single people run the risk of isolating themselves from society which can bring on depression and health neglect.

Third, people in a blissful marital relationship are also more likely to key into their doctor’s recommendations, according to a study.

Comparing long term relationship

Much of the research on whether a long term relationship has same benefits as a marital relationship was done using heterosexual couples as participants. The fact is that the love and caring, and how this equates with the desire to want to take proper care of yourselves when there is someone who is devoted to your happiness cannot be measured. However, the study admits that cohabiting with your partner may equally have health benefits, though not at the same pace as marriage.  

It’s not all about a wedding ring

The fact that you’re wearing a wedding ring is not sufficient. Is your marriage good? If yes then probably means good health for both of you. A study of heart surgery patients showed better survival, over 15 years, among the happily married. On the other hand, being in an unhappy marriage can be unhealthy. One reason why may be that severe stress from a terrible marriage may affect the immune system. In this case, women are the most vulnerable, because they are more sensitive to aggression in a relationship than men. The fact now is that women who suffer in unhappy marriages develop depression, obesity and hypertension. Relationship quality also affects men in the same hostile relationship leading to several cases of drug abuse and depression. In addition, married couples who were more aggressive during disagreements revealed sharper changes in stress hormones and poor wound healing. In sum, more aggression may negatively affect the immune system for couples with severe relationship problems.

Doing Solo

No doubt people can survive living alone. For a single person, it may or may not mean there is a problem starting a close relationship. Though for some it may be just that. For others it may be that the right person has not shown up yet. To counteract the negative effects of living single, including people who are divorced, is to be around good people who love you, and of course you also reciprocate the caring gesture. For instance the case of divorce is associated with a high risk of sudden death, especially in men, though it is also true that many divorced adults live very well and revel in a high quality of life with time. So if divorcing makes you happy, then the potential negative health effects should not be too much cause for anxiety. Women may fare better on their own than men do, most likely for the same reasons men benefit more from marriage.

In the end it is important to listen, recognise, confirm, and identify with each other’s feelings when you’re in a relationship whether married or not. One of the greatest human needs is to love and be loved in return and this should be cast in stone. When you know your partner cares about your happiness, and ready to compromise when necessary, is what a great relationship is all about which equals great health in the long run.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons.