If you are someone who has been unhappy about failing personal relationships, you need to read this. It is essential that you maintain a quality relationship with your near and dear ones, from mom, dad, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents to other extended family members. We aren’t suggesting something out of the blue, this could make a real difference in your health as you age, maybe even more than your “the one”.
A new study stands proof that “people who feel they aren’t supported by their extended family are more likely to suffer chronic illness than those who aren’t happy with their spouse or partner.”
The extensive study covers over 3,000 people over 19 years
The study, published in the Journal of Family Psychology, has a history to it, quite literally. The data collected for this study covered nearly 3,000 people between the years 1995 and 2014. The average age of people, during the first round of data collection, was about 45 years old.
At three significant points during the 19 years of data collection, participants were asked to rate the quality of their family and partner interactions. Their responses were then compared to their total number of chronic conditions, ranging from high intensity medical issues such as strokes to something recurring like headaches.
Appreciation in relationships plays a significant part in building a healthy and happy foundation
To get a definite answer on the level of intimacy or the lack of it in partnership, subjects answered questions such as: “How often does your spouse or partner argue with you?” and “How much does your spouse or partner appreciate you?” Apart from this, they answered personal questions like “Not including your spouse or partner, how often do members of your family criticize you? How much can you rely on your family for help if you have a serious problem?” to discover the quality of their familial associations.
Oddly, and contrary to common belief, the study found no correlation between health issues associated with/or due to troubled relationships with spouses. The results were a shocker even for lead author Sarah Woods, who is an assistant professor of family and community medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. While she and other authors on the research had expected health impacts from both family and intimate dysfunction, they didn’t expect the disparity. She believes that, “the changing nature of marriage, especially the role of divorce” could be the reason.
Marital or love relationships lesser affected because of their fleeting characteristic
Woods added, “Adults are waiting longer to marry, if they marry at all…And they may be less likely to be married to that same person for the rest of their lifespan. But you have your family for all of your life.”
In fact, Woods pointed out that, the majority of the study group had living parents or siblings. If their dynamics of interactivity are negative, then family-based stress could continue to impact a person as they grow older, because the relations stay and not fade away. This is exactly what Woods wants to reiterate, “Family relationships are long and emotionally intense.”
Family is forever, so make it work or get help
“These are the people you are connected to forever. If you are sensitive to emotional stress, then being bathed in that stress would over time wear and tear on your body,” said Woods.
It would be interesting to note that while no actual change in personal health is seen in intimate partner relationships, but they are likely to reflect the suffering happening in other areas, damaging its overall health. It is a wakeup call nonetheless as Woods points out, “While more research is needed to tease out the dynamics of the interactions, the study’s results should be a wakeup call for dysfunctional families and health care practitioners.”
On an endnote Woods said, “It’s our takeaway that if your family or relationships are conflictual or unhealthy in adulthood, it could be very important to work to improve them, perhaps by therapy. Until now, that’s not something we would typically consider for somebody in the middle of their life.”
More articles on relationships for your perusal:
Choosing To Stay Together Only For The Kids Is The Worst Thing Parents Can Do
10 Early Signs of Divorce That Every Couple Ignores
Bonding Tips: How to Be a Happy Family
