You may lose your sense of self or your sense of purpose in life for a time. And of course there is the grief resulting from all of the losses sustained during a divorce. Obviously there is the loss of one s partner in life, but there may be other losses as some friendships become uncomfortable. Another common emotional response to divorce is depression. All of this emotional and mental stress has physical consequences.
Stress affects all of the body s systems.
One common effect is the increase in muscle tension which may result in tight shoulder muscles, sore back muscles or tension headaches. The immune system is also often affected. As your body s resources are focused on the stressful situation, your immune function does not receive the energy it needs to fight off illness. Thus you may have increased susceptibility to disease. Another casualty of such a stressful period is good, restful sleep.