Spring Break
Single and satisfied
Health benefits from singlehood exist, relationships have more positives
Breann Schossow
Issue date: 2/16/09 Section: Money/Health
Another Valentine's Day has come and gone. Was it a cause for celebration with a significant other or the biggest singles awareness day of the year?
The number of American singles has increased in previous decades under a number of categories such as unmarried, never married and single parents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Cause for celebration
It even seems single people have the opportunity to celebrate, in a way other than Valentine's Day (or singles awareness day). National Singles Week began in the 1980s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The third full week in September is acknowledged as "Unmarried and Single American's Week" in order to celebrate singles and their contribution to society.
Adrienne Storm, a senior psychologist at Counseling Services, said she thinks the increase of singles compared to previous years is due to a number of reasons.
One of them, she said, is because of the financial stability women are able to have now on their own. Also, being single is more accepted, marriage occurs later and different lifestyles are more accepted.
But what does this status contribute back to people who are single? Are there any health benefits to the status?
Single = healthier?
While Storm said she cannot cite specific studies which document health benefits for single people, there are pros and cons for both sides of the relationship spectrum.
"I think it just really depends on who you are as a person," she said, comparing it to an either/or situation. Adding, in a relationship, people do not want to end up losing themselves.
When in a relationship, Storm said people need to have their sense of identity and separateness from the relationship.
"There's the 'We,' and the 'We' is made up of two 'I's," she said.
People, without knowing about their sense of selves, may go on to be with someone who will define who they are.
"A lot of people who don't have a strong sense of who they are become very codependent on each other and (are) looking to the other person to define them," she said.
This behavior, Storm said, is unhealthy, whereas having a sense of self is.
Being single may also be an opportunity for rebuilding, Storm said.
For people who come from abusive or overshadowing relationships, or those where the person feels as though they lost a sense of self, getting out of the relationship and being single allows them to find their identity.
"It might be helpful in terms of then going on and having a better relationship," she said.
However, Storm said there are unhealthy singles, such as those who are afraid of commitment. This behavior usually stems from broken families, as the relationships that they have seen are poor or they've been in bad relationships.
"They fear that if they get into a relationship or get married, they're going to end up in the same place," she said.
Fortunately, Storm said there are ways to overcome this unhealthy behavior, such as going to therapy or having other successful role models.
The verdict?
There are probably more health benefits to being in relationships than being single, Storm said.
"They say, 'I think people live longer who are in relationships,'" she said. "I don't think it so much has to be a married relationship, but people who have relationships have a tendency to live longer."
An example Storm said she has read about are studies in which cancer patients in relationships or with partners are more likely to survive and live longer.
"That's probably because they have a caretaker for them and they also have someone they're living for," she said.
Storm is not alone. In a BBC News article, it says that married men and women tend to be healthier than single counterparts. This may be due to social support of having a partner or because people who are single have no one to look after them.
Differing mindsets
The major differences between people in relationships and those who are single depend upon the significant other, Storm said.
She said she thinks people in relationships have to take the other person into account while making compromises and sacrifices alike.
"What you're doing isn't just affecting you," she said. "It's obviously having an effect on that significant person in your life."
On the other hand, with people who are single, it's easier to make decisions based on the lack of a significant other.
An example Storm gave is when a person loses a job. For a single person, it is probably easier for them to get up and move. But for a person in a relationship, there is another person to consider.
"So many activities are dual activities, so your choices are always, I think, made with the other person in mind and need to be made with the other person in mind," she said.
Other relationships
While in a relationship or single, there are other people in the world to consider as well, especially friends.
Junior Sam Pfeifer said he feels as though it is easier to build friendships when single as opposed to being in a relationship.
"When you're in a relationship, you have to spend a lot of time with your girlfriend or your boyfriend and less time with your friends," he said.
"Also, being single allows you to be your own person," Pfeifer added.
Pfeifer added he thinks it's easier to be single because of making decisions about activities and time management.
However, there are perks to a relationship as well, Pfeifer said, such as support or at social activities.
A relationship vs. being single … It's all a matter of opinion.
The number of American singles has increased in previous decades under a number of categories such as unmarried, never married and single parents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Cause for celebration
It even seems single people have the opportunity to celebrate, in a way other than Valentine's Day (or singles awareness day). National Singles Week began in the 1980s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The third full week in September is acknowledged as "Unmarried and Single American's Week" in order to celebrate singles and their contribution to society.
Adrienne Storm, a senior psychologist at Counseling Services, said she thinks the increase of singles compared to previous years is due to a number of reasons.
One of them, she said, is because of the financial stability women are able to have now on their own. Also, being single is more accepted, marriage occurs later and different lifestyles are more accepted.
But what does this status contribute back to people who are single? Are there any health benefits to the status?
Single = healthier?
While Storm said she cannot cite specific studies which document health benefits for single people, there are pros and cons for both sides of the relationship spectrum.
"I think it just really depends on who you are as a person," she said, comparing it to an either/or situation. Adding, in a relationship, people do not want to end up losing themselves.
When in a relationship, Storm said people need to have their sense of identity and separateness from the relationship.
"There's the 'We,' and the 'We' is made up of two 'I's," she said.
People, without knowing about their sense of selves, may go on to be with someone who will define who they are.
"A lot of people who don't have a strong sense of who they are become very codependent on each other and (are) looking to the other person to define them," she said.
This behavior, Storm said, is unhealthy, whereas having a sense of self is.
Being single may also be an opportunity for rebuilding, Storm said.
For people who come from abusive or overshadowing relationships, or those where the person feels as though they lost a sense of self, getting out of the relationship and being single allows them to find their identity.
"It might be helpful in terms of then going on and having a better relationship," she said.
However, Storm said there are unhealthy singles, such as those who are afraid of commitment. This behavior usually stems from broken families, as the relationships that they have seen are poor or they've been in bad relationships.
"They fear that if they get into a relationship or get married, they're going to end up in the same place," she said.
Fortunately, Storm said there are ways to overcome this unhealthy behavior, such as going to therapy or having other successful role models.
The verdict?
There are probably more health benefits to being in relationships than being single, Storm said.
"They say, 'I think people live longer who are in relationships,'" she said. "I don't think it so much has to be a married relationship, but people who have relationships have a tendency to live longer."
An example Storm said she has read about are studies in which cancer patients in relationships or with partners are more likely to survive and live longer.
"That's probably because they have a caretaker for them and they also have someone they're living for," she said.
Storm is not alone. In a BBC News article, it says that married men and women tend to be healthier than single counterparts. This may be due to social support of having a partner or because people who are single have no one to look after them.
Differing mindsets
The major differences between people in relationships and those who are single depend upon the significant other, Storm said.
She said she thinks people in relationships have to take the other person into account while making compromises and sacrifices alike.
"What you're doing isn't just affecting you," she said. "It's obviously having an effect on that significant person in your life."
On the other hand, with people who are single, it's easier to make decisions based on the lack of a significant other.
An example Storm gave is when a person loses a job. For a single person, it is probably easier for them to get up and move. But for a person in a relationship, there is another person to consider.
"So many activities are dual activities, so your choices are always, I think, made with the other person in mind and need to be made with the other person in mind," she said.
Other relationships
While in a relationship or single, there are other people in the world to consider as well, especially friends.
Junior Sam Pfeifer said he feels as though it is easier to build friendships when single as opposed to being in a relationship.
"When you're in a relationship, you have to spend a lot of time with your girlfriend or your boyfriend and less time with your friends," he said.
"Also, being single allows you to be your own person," Pfeifer added.
Pfeifer added he thinks it's easier to be single because of making decisions about activities and time management.
However, there are perks to a relationship as well, Pfeifer said, such as support or at social activities.
A relationship vs. being single … It's all a matter of opinion.
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