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Marriage Counseling Marriage
Is Good For
Your Health Wealth And HappinessMarriage keeps you healthy, US government researchers
reported in December. According to a new study by the Center
for Disease Control, married people are less likely to smoke,
drink heavily or be physically inactive. They are less likely
than singles, divorcees or widowed adults to be in fair or poor
health and are less likely to suffer from headaches or
psychological problems.
“It could by the ‘Nag Factor,’” according to Barbara Bartlein,
author of Why Did I Marry You Anyway? 12.5 Strategies for a
Happy Marriage. “ Spouses tend to nag each other about health
related issues such as smoking, drinking, risky behavior and
receiving regular medical care.”
Ironically, people have climbed the ladder of success by
working long hours and taking on extra projects, often
sacrificing time with family. Now, new research demonstrates
that they would actually be healthier, wealthier and happier if
they concentrated more on their marriage. There appears to be
grave consequences for couples that call it quits too easily
that have not been addressed in previous studies. We have
created disposable marriages in a throw away culture with
little regard to the personal costs for the individual and
family.
If you are looking for a long and healthy life, marriage may be
part of the answer. Married folks tend to live longer and
healthier than their single, divorced or widowed counterparts.
And while my husband would claim that it just feels longer, the
statistics demonstrate this is true.
*Non-marrieds have significantly higher rates of mortality; 50%
higher among women and 250% higher among men.
*For men, staying married boosts the chance of surviving to age
65 from about 2 out of three to almost 9 out of 10.
*The unmarried are far more likely to die from all causes,
including coronary heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, cancer,
cirrhosis, automobile accidents, murder, and suicide.
*Being married improves the mental health for both men and
women—there is someone to talk to. Spouses discuss their
worries, dreams and disappointments with their partners, which
helps relieve stress and anxiety.
*Researcher also found that there were positives effects from
the “nag factor.” This is; the routine nagging that spouses do
to encourage a positive lifestyle and decrease destructive
habits such as smoking or drinking to excess.
A healthy marriage may also be the starting point for a growing
net worth. Not only is divorce very costly in the short run,
the long-term effects of not being married dramatically affect
how financially secure you become. Consider:
*The longer people stay married, the greater their wealth
accumulations.
*At retirement, a typical married couple has accumulated about
$410,000 compared to about $167,000 for never married, about
$145,000 for divorced and just under $96,000 for the
separated.
*Spouses have better health and life insurance coverage.
*The married have increased access to pensions and social
security.
*Being married provides “insurance.” In case of death, spouses
almost always leave their worldly goods—Social Security and
pension benefits to their wives or husbands. By getting
married, spouses create an “annuity value” that is equal to
increasing one’s wealth by 12-14 percent at age thirty and by
30 percent at age seventy-five compared to staying single.
*Married people behave more responsibly about money because
they have more responsibilities. By pooling money, labor, and
time, married people create far more opportunities for building
wealth.
*There also is a value to IN LAWS—They tend to help a family
when needed. In laws also provide potential access to
inheritance. About 29% of married couples received financial
help from in-laws and about a quarter of families with children
received financial transfers in the past five years.
In spite of the jokes and comedy routines, married folks also
tend to be happier than their single counterparts. Married men
and women report less depression, less anxiety, and lower
levels of other types of psychological distress than do those
who are single, divorced, or widowed.
*Widowed and divorces persons are about three times as likely
to commit suicide.
*Marital status is one of the most important predictors of
happiness. 40% of the married said they are very happy with
their life in general, compared to just under a quarter of
those who were single or who were cohabiting.
The commitment to make marriage a priority will have a
tremendous impact on your life. The success prescription for
health, wealth and happiness: Work as hard on your marriage as
you do on your career.
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broken links to: info@endlessrelationships.com
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