I remember reading a few years ago about a study that claimed that people in a happy, fulfilling relationship are also healthier. Well, the article claims that married couples would be happier and healthier, but I’d assume the same goes for couples that are together for a longer time even if they’re not married. Since many people in this day and age are in a very long term committed relationship even if they never make it official.

Well, who am I to argue with science?

So I started to think: in my previous long relationship I used to have flues (well, the common cold) where I’d be sick as a dog. The sneezing was horrible, tears streaming from my eyes when I couldn’t breathe since my nose was so stuffy. And I’d have these colds a few times a year.

Now in my current (long) relationship I haven’t had one cold like that in ten years!
Occasionally I have had “wannabe-colds”; it’s like the cold is trying to conquer, and it gets 26% of the way and then it’s over. So maybe a bit of a sore throat, nose a little stuffed, slightly elevated body temperature.  And it usually lasts only 1-2 days, when previously it would last almost a week.

So, my current relationship is keeping me healthier?
Well, yes and no. I’d say this applies only to things like the common cold.
My shoulder is still broken and I hurt my knee and it won’t heal. So the healing doesn’t apply to everything.

And I assume the “happy healthy” -paradigm only applies to women: my spouses have had their share of health problems. So they have a healing effect on me and I don’t have on them??

And also: I know many couples that seem (and say!) they are very happy, but still the woman may have severe health problems (cancer, extensive surgeries etc).

So I wonder how it really works: is it so that if you have a good relationship and you’re happy, you feel healthier even if you could have some health problems. It’s all about the attitude towards life?

What do you think?