Divorce Affects Your Health
With a high number of marriages ending in divorce, the impact on those involved can be significant and long-lasting. Divorce can affect your emotional and physical health, however, there are ways to counteract these effects and start your journey towards a healthy life.
The Emotional Impact of Divorce
The end of a marriage can be a confusing and stressful period for all involved. This means that it often comes with an emotional burden that can take some time to work through. For many people, the emotional struggles that result from the breakup can last a couple of years, while they refocus their lives and learn to live within their new normal. For others, however, the effects can be longer-lasting and intensify over time. A high-conflict divorce process could further complicate things. Speaking with your New Jersey family law attorney about the process itself and the options available to you might help you find the method that best works for you and that might help ease the emotional impact of the process. Some of the things that divorcing people might experience include:
- Depression
- Alienation
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Anger
The Physical Impact of Divorce
Divorce can also affect your physical health even years after it is finalized. Marrying again can sometimes offset some of these effects but in general, getting divorced increases many people’s chances of developing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Over time, divorced people can also struggle more with their mobility, which might make it challenging to climb stairs or exercise. After the dissolution of the marriage, many people also experience an increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse. Finally, it can also lead to higher mortality rates.
Finances Can Impact Your Emotional and Physical Health
Stress often leads to the mental and physical effects that you might experience after divorce. One of the causes of this stress is the uncertainty of your financial state after you and your spouse go your separate ways. When divorce hurts your financial situation, you might become more anxious and worried about the future, and this can take a toll on both your mind and your body.
Focusing on Your Emotional and Physical Health
While life after divorce might feel overwhelming, particularly as you might be struggling with emotional and physical effects in addition to the financial struggles that often accompany this period, you can start to work on your path to emotional and physical well-being. There are steps you can take to work on your healing, including:
- Meeting with a mental health professional
- Creating a support network, which includes family, friends and a divorce support group
- Continuing or finishing your education
- Exploring a new hobby
- Starting a new exercise routine
- Seeking new opportunities at work or embarking on a new career
Moving Forward After Divorce
Understanding what life after divorce will look like is also an important step in offsetting the emotional and physical effects that this process can bring. One way to reduce the stress of the end of the marriage is to be clear about your divorce settlement and how you plan to move forward. You can speak to your New Jersey family law attorney about your settlement so you can ask questions and get a clear picture of your situation. Once you have a clear plan, you can feel more in control of your life, thereby further reducing the stress of not knowing and protecting your physical and mental health.
Protecting yourself from the long-term effects of divorce can begin even before the process itself by finding a family law attorney who understands you and provides guidance and legal support. At Morgenstern and Rochester, you can find experienced attorneys who are ready to review your case and explore how we can best help you achieve your divorce goals. Call us today at 856-489-6200 to schedule a consultation at our Cherry Hill offices.