The Little Things: Dating and Your Health
When you’re dating, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t “Will dating this person make me healthier?” Well, if it is, then you may be worrying a bit too much. Then again, if you are dating someone and it only makes you worry, then it’s probably best to get out of it as soon as possible. Two studies have proven the link between bad relationships and poor physical and mental health.
Lets start with the mental. A study by Case Western Reserve University showed that excessive worrying can create intrusive and obsessive behaviors that could negatively impact your relationships, romantic and otherwise. Though it studied people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), its findings could be used for anyone that finds themselves worrying themselves into a corner – making them either too cold or too nurturing.Either way you feel, it will push the people you love away from you and make you more isolated.
The way to attack this problem is to get to the source – what made you worry in the first place? Does it come from somewhere real or imagined? Anything can make you worry but the best way to attack the problem is head-on: discuss it with your partner. They should understand completely. Don’t put it off too long, worrying does have a snowball effect. Just to top off the worrying, if you feel that you are suffering from GAD, please consult a therapist since this blog can only go so far.
Worrying will also result in physical health problems. If those problems mentioned before keep coming up again and again, you may be in a toxic relationship. The exact health problems that can result from these relationships were recently discovered by UCLA scientists. Negative interactions increases inflammation, which can result in heart disease, increased blood pressure, and cancer. Monitoring 122 healthy young people, scientists found that stressful events increased the production of inflammation-causing proteins.
Yeesh, that sounds terrible. Imagine staying in a bad relationship even for a few more weeks – it really can kill you in the long run. That’s why when something doesn’t work, you shouldn’t be afraid to say goodbye. Your health is more important than hurt feelings.
Mental and physical health are tied together tightly like a fine knot. One notch fails and the rest of it falls. Life is made up of the little things. A hug. A compliment. A glare. An argument. You should never neglect looking out for your own health first. It’s more important than any petty argument will ever be.
