Can the emotional firestorm you are experiencing during divorce make you sick?
Not only can divorce make you sick emotionally, it can definitely impact your health in many negative ways.
In his book, Deadly Emotions, Don Colbert, M.D. explains that "The body cannot differentiate between stress that physical factors cause and stress that emotional factors cause. Stress is stress."
As our bodies react to the up and down swings of emotions during divorce that include fear, anger, frustration, grief and rage, these stresses causes the body to become flooded with the fight- flight or freeze hormones of adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine."
"The perpetual release of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol can sear the body in a way that is similar to acid searing metal. Even hours after any immediate stress-producing incident has subsided, these hormone levels can remain high and continue to do their damaging work."
Not only do these elevated hormone levels affect our ability to concentrate and carry on our daily routines, according to Dr. Colbert, "Medical Research is showing more and more that there may be a mind-body connection to most diseases and ailments, not just a few."
How does the emotional stress of divorce affect us physically? Our immune system responses get disrupted leaving us with health conditions such as migraine headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, skin problems,teeth grinding,heart disease and autoimmune disorders such as lupus and fibromyalgia.
What can you do the next time you feel a surge of rage starting to overtake you during divorce? Sometimes, the best thing you can do is find a way to get physical to release the build-up of stress hormones that have flooded your body.
I recommend that you invest in a supply of cheap glassware you can throw. Other ideas of how to defuse the physical build-up of stress hormones includes running, going to the gym or talking the dog for a vigorous walk.
Letting the air out of the storm of pressure building up inside of you could be just what you need when trying to quell the emotional firestorm that comes along with divorce.
Nancy Kay is a Divorce Strategist and Co-Parenting Coach who provides Strategic Guidance for women and men who are navigating through the Storm of Divorce. Nancy combines her Family Law Paralegal experience and Coaching Training to show clients how to work more effectively with their Divorce Attorney while saving time, money and avoiding a lot of headaches. Contact Nancy Kay at Nancy@movingforwardthroughdivorce.com for your Complimentary Consultation. www.movingforwardthroughdivorce.com