Ask any New Jersey resident who has lived through a divorce and most will agree—the experience is extremely stressful. Even an amicable divorce can be difficult as every part of a person’s life is uprooted and changed. Uncertainty about the future includes everything from how much money there will be to live on each month to when and where children will be with each parent. Prevention explains that this uncertainty can contribute to anxiety. Anxiety is just one of many health issues that divorced persons must be on the lookout for.
During stressful times, it is not uncommon for people to seek out things that provide them some comfort or even escape. When these things are food, drugs or alcohol, personal health can take a toll along the way. Problems sleeping are also often experienced by people when navigating the difficult waters of a divorce.
Stress can increase inflammation which can contribute to heart disease and women seem especially prone to this risk. Heart disease is not the only medical condition exacerbated by stress. According to WebMD, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression are more of the problems that stress can play a part in. When people get a divorced, the experience of loss can also be accompanied by a feeling of failure that may lead to unhealthy behaviors.
Missing time from work can also result if health suffers enough. This, in turn, may only add to the stresses as the lost time from a job may not always be paid sick time which can further hurt a divorcing person’s financial picture.
