I read a rather interesting article this week entitled “Women divorced multiple times twice more prone to heart attack,” by Karla Fetrow.
http://www.worldtechtoday.com/women-divorced-multiple-times-twice-more-prone-to-heart-attack/21691
A Duke University study has revealed that a woman who has been divorced once has a 24 percent greater chance of experiencing a heart attack than a happily married woman. Furthermore, the disturbing news that this percentage actually doubles for a woman who has been divorced more than once forced me to sit up and take notice. Why? Because I am a multiple marrier, or should I say, a multiple divorcée who has experienced the stress of a relationship breakup more than once. Along with the usual concerns a woman faces while going through the dissolution of a marriage, when one is thrice-divorced or more, often shame and guilt are added to the mix. It is hardly surprising, then, that potential health issues may eventually arise and possibly accumulate, when one is faced with devastating loss time and time again.
After multiple divorces and a 13-year hiatus from marriage, I chose to wed once again. I am now in a stable and happy marriage. Today my life is filled with joy, my heart has healed and I truly hope my percentage for heart attack risk has decreased dramatically despite my multiple divorce record. My wake-up call to start repairing my broken heart came when I began to accept responsibility for my past mistakes, release the guilt and anger, discover self-awareness and was determined to change my life for the better, with or without a future spouse.
So if you have also experienced the trauma of multiple divorces, do a health check. Ask yourself, “Am I on the path to recovery?” “Am I practicing self-love?” "Am I making my own sunshine every single day of my life, despite the marital troubles I have experienced?” If you believe in the old adage “mind over matter,” then establishing a positive outlook will help you overcome previous emotional setbacks. Before long, you’ll be striding down a healthy life path again.
So, listen to your wake-up call and take action to put the past in the past once and for all. Despite what the Duke University survey says about women who've been divorced several times being at a higher risk for a heart attack, perhaps we can all beat those odds by practicing good heart health -- going forward with our lives every day in a positive manner!