Is Your Relationship Making You Ill?

Studies show that staying in a toxic relationship can make you physically ill. Anindita Ghosh investigates

- Anindita Ghosh

For Neha Dixit, 29, publicist, falling sick had become a way of life. Seasonal weather changes, restaurant food, allergies… it seemed as though she was stuck in a cycle of illness. While her general physician pointed to low immunity, it was her counsellor at work who suggested that her unhappy marriage could be to blame. “My husband and I have been stuck in a bad relationship for over two years now. It’s not just that we don’t talk or make love anymore…there are also a lot of super stressful fights. I am not surprised it’s taking a toll on my physical health, after ruining my mental peace.” According to a study published in 2009 in the American Psychosomatic Society journal, staying in a bad relationship can cause high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides and low levels of good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein. The same study showed that women are more affected by bad marriages than men. There are many more studies that have been carried out over the years that found a link between toxic relationships and poor physical health. According to Dr Gitanjali Sharma, a couples’ counsellor, an unhappy relationship is one where you feel unfulfilled and bad about yourself more times than not. “You feel insecure, unsafe, unappreciated and unhappy. There is also a likelihood of a lot of conflict in the relationship.” A bad relationship not only brings along with it mental stress, but also a number of physical ailments. Keep an eye out for these: