Marital Break-Up, Divorce May Cause Eczema And Muscle Pains

An interesting number of experts are spending their time researching about "divorce stress syndrome". The new study basically suggests that marital break-up and divorce can cause both emotional and physical illnesses, including eczema and muscle pain.

Family therapist Charlotte Friedman, who runs Divorce Support Group in the UK, told Daily Mail, 'Nearly all of the people I see experience symptoms like stress, low mood, depression and insomnia.' She also added saying, 'Around 60 per cent of people also suffers physical symptoms, which might include migraine, eczema or back trouble - usually the result of muscular tension.'

According to the recent study by the University of Michigan, those who have gone through a divorce experience a quick drop in their health status than those who stay married. The study also revealed that men tend to suffer more long-term health conditions after the divorce, while women are more seriously affected, but only for a short period of time. Experts related these effects to stress and grief.  

"High conflict divorces are also seen as so stressful that they have been reclassified as one of the causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition usually associated with accident victims or soldiers in war zones," Friedman added. Indian Express reported that women are two times more at risk to suffer from PTSD, suffering symptoms like flashbacks, unsocial behavior, heightened anxiety, insomnia and psychosomatic illness.

Med India wrote that David Pastrana, author of the study and Legal Professor based in Arizona said, "Newly-divorced go through the same stages of emotional readjustment as those coming to terms with bereavement namely, denial, anger, depression and acceptance. Divorce can affect us emotionally, mentally and physically, beyond our expectations."

Pastrana also explained that when you are mourning the death of a loved one, you also encounter divorce grief. 'Recognizing these feelings and acknowledging that you must go through a transitional healing process is a good place to start. Once you've understood them, you're on your way to overcoming them,' he added.

Meanwhile, Pastrana's explanation was something psychologist Dr. James Lynch, author of The Broken Heart: The Medical Consequences Of Loneliness agreed to. Dr. Lynch believes that the connection between emotional stress and physical ailments are already starting to be recognized. It is also important to note that there have been studies showing that psychological stress elevates the damage caused by free radicals which are unstable molecules that attack healthy cells and are believed to have a role in heart disease, cancer, and other serious diseases.