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Can Marriage Counseling Improve your Health?

While most of us don’t think of feelings this way, its been proven repeatedly that there is a connection between our emotional state and our physical health. Marriage counseling can facilitate our emotional expression and help clear the air both mentally and physically.

If you’re one of the people who don’t think your emotional state can cause some very definite physical problems, think again. According to one expert:

When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right. For example, high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. The following may be physical signs that your emotional health is out of balance:

* Back pain
* Change in appetite
* Chest pain
* Constipation or diarrhea
* Dry mouth
* Extreme tiredness
* General aches and pains
* Headaches
* High blood pressure
* Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
* Lightheadedness
* Palpitations (the feeling that your heart is racing)
* Sexual problems
* Shortness of breath
* Stiff neck
* Sweating
* Upset stomach
* Weight gain or loss

Poor emotional health can weaken your body’s immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed or experiencing anxiety or upset, you may not take care of your health as well as you should. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs may also be a sign of poor emotional health.

So if you’re contemplating couples counseling, remember, there’s a bigger picture to take into consideration: you and your partner’s health. Stress is a real troublemaker in your system and a problematic relationship can cause chronic stress that takes a toll on your body in a myriad of ways. Ease your mind and body by exploring ways to heal your relationships today.

This article was written by Staff Writer, and posted on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at 6:01 am. It is filed under Relationships, Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.