A recent study reported in the Journal of Men’s Health revealed that divorce can have a serious impact on men’s health, whether they’re the ones filing for divorce or not.
The toll that divorce takes on a man can be both physical and mental, researchers said. According to Dr. Ridwan Shabsigh, president of the International Society of Men’s Health, “Popular perception, and many cultures as well as the media present men as tough, resilient, and less vulnerable to psychological trauma than women. However, this article serves as a warning signal not to follow such unfounded perceptions.”
Shabsigh continued: “The fact is that men get affected substantially by psychological trauma and negative life events such as divorce, bankruptcy, war, and bereavement. Research is urgently needed to investigate the prevalence and impact of such effects and to develop diagnosis and treatment guidelines for practitioners.”
Possible Effects Of Divorce
The paper, entitled “The Influence of Divorce on Men’s Health,” stated that possible physical effects can include cancer and heart attacks, and that divorced, unmarried men have mortality rates “up to 250 percent higher” than their married counterparts. Causes of premature death include the following:
Many of these physical ailments may come about as a result of the mental effects of signing divorce papers as well. Depression is high in divorced men, and that can lead to risky behaviors, such as drinking, doing drugs, and committing suicide. In fact, the suicide rate of divorced men, according to the study, was about 39 percent higher than married men.
What Can A Man Do For Prevention?
In order to stave off the negative physical and mental effects of divorce, men need to realize the vulnerability of their health after the breakup of a relationship. Instead of abusing drugs and alcohol, they should work on improving themselves. They should take steps of self-improvement and, when the time is right, start dating again.
Divorce — even an uncontested online divorce — can be hard on a male’s psyche because it implies failure. Men don’t like to fail, especially after making themselves physically and emotionally vulnerable to another person. But it’s important to realize that life is full of victories and defeats. The difference between ultimately “winning” and “losing” is how you respond to the challenges that life throws your way.