Does Being Single Make You Bonkers?

[churchill]

Earlier this month, the Taiwanese health minister caused an outcry when he suggested that single people should pay more for their health insurance because they have a higher risk of mental illness

Yaung Chih-liang had urged his compatriots to start having families as soon as possible to safeguard emotional wellbeing – a sentiment he quickly apologised for after complaints from a high-powered – and unmarried – woman legislator.

The episode raises questions about the most suitable family arrangement for us to live in. Studies do suggest that people who are in relationships have better mental health than their single counterparts.

For example, an Australian study of almost 11,000 people by psychologist Dr David de Vaus found that half as many married people suffer from stress, compared with single people, judged by their alcohol and drug abuse.

Married people are less depressed and have fewer alcohol-related problems, as compared with unmarried ones, found an earlier report in the US Journal of Marriage and the Family.

continued .. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/expathea...ou-bonkers.html

[centrico]

Marriage does not drive you to drink??? Going to the pub too often might not be worth the stressful nagging from the wife

Edited April 21, 2010 by centrico

[IanForbes]

That is all a pipe dream conjured up by someone with an agenda. Advertising and family pressure forces people to think they are unfufilled if they are not married by the time they are 30. It's THAT, that gives them the anxiety. Women who want to have children some day get anxious when their breeding cycle starts coming to an end. Statistics are just that... statistics that mean exactly nothing other than a bunch of numbers. Ridiculously terrible odds have not stopped people throwing money away on lottery tickets.

[dave111223]

Statistics are just that... statistics that mean exactly nothing other than a bunch of numbers.

[tonititan]

I recently read an article about a similar research study done in the US. I think it was on the CNN website, but I don't want to look up the link right now. It found that, yes, married people had less health problems. But, the catch is that it only applied to happily married people. I believe that it found unhappy married people to be even worse off than singles. And how many unhappy marriages are there these days? A lot.

I wonder if Taiwan is one of the countries with a declining birth rate? Perhaps that is the real reason for the minister's statements. Maybe he was trying to pressure people into getting married and having lots of babies?

[Ijustwannateach]

They're desperate for more citizens- i.e., trying to do everything they can to reward breeding. Not to be taken seriously.

[fabianfred]

Why should any country try to increase their population? Almost every country has the same problem....overcrowding...not enough jobs...etc.

A single man has a single man's suffering.... a married man has a married man's suffering..... we do not escape suffering...just change one type for another.

[Juzrelax]

That is all a pipe dream conjured up by someone with an agenda. Advertising and family pressure forces people to think they are unfufilled if they are not married by the time they are 30. It's THAT, that gives them the anxiety. Women who want to have children some day get anxious when their breeding cycle starts coming to an end. Statistics are just that... statistics that mean exactly nothing other than a bunch of numbers. Ridiculously terrible odds have not stopped people throwing money away on lottery tickets.

Statistics are just that... statistics that mean exactly nothing other than a bunch of numbers.

70% of all statistics are made up.

[Spiny]

Or get a pet

http://health.discovery.com/centers/aging/...owerofpets.html

[ozzieovaseas]

That is all a pipe dream conjured up by someone with an agenda. Advertising and family pressure forces people to think they are unfufilled if they are not married by the time they are 30. It's THAT, that gives them the anxiety. Women who want to have children some day get anxious when their breeding cycle starts coming to an end. Statistics are just that... statistics that mean exactly nothing other than a bunch of numbers. Ridiculously terrible odds have not stopped people throwing money away on lottery tickets.

Spot on yet again Ian

And anyone who doubts single life is fun should look at Ians pics

Seriously though, the population debate thats been brought up here is significant to the OP's question.

Australia has had this conundrum for years. First it was John Howards so called "baby bonus" fiasco and by the same premise we now have Kevin Rud saying we need more taxpayers to pay for all the baby boomers that will soon be drawing pensions.

What a hypocritical mess. On one side we have governments raving about environmental/earth issues, yet at the same time they are trying to promote population growth (for financial needs only) without much thought to the planet OR the infrastructure needed.

Its time governments stopped bowing to the big businesses and expectations of needing certain percentage levels of growth every year. Surely common sense states growth cant just go on forever without implications.

As for married people living longer, it is considered a fact here in Australia that people who have pets live longer.

Call me a selfish SOB but i consider my life absolutely stress free from NOT having to run around cleaning up do-do's all day...be they human or animal

Edited April 22, 2010 by ozzieovaseas

[PhilHarries]

70% of all statistics are made up.

and the other 30% are lies.

[simon43]

That report sounds like total bull.

Before I was married, I was very happy to live alone. It was the only way I could maintain intelligent conversation

Simon

[Carib]

There are lies....and other statistices...

And yes being sinle makes you go banana`s , but in a nice way...Nice enough to fight off married life.

[geriatrickid]

I can't be bothered to read the study, but I notice a few flaws in the report;

- Did the study differentiate between common law marriage and "religious/legal" marriage? I would expect the same benefits of marriage would accrue to those people co-habitating.

- What about those people that have a close circle of friends and family that effectively replaces the conventional family, or those of us with animal companions that provide the thrills and spills of married life?

- Was the study gender neutral and did not define marriage as male & female? Not to open the annoying argument, but there are some homosexuals & lesbians that believe their arrangements are the equivalent of marriage.

- Did the study take into account that some of the single people were defective to begin with? Seriously, if some guy likes to sit there in his Iron Maiden wife beater picking his nose claiming that he was the subject of an alien anal probe, even the most unappealing of females may not be interested in a marriage proposal.

And now for the best part of that article;

Aviva Health UK is one of the insurance companies that does offer in-patient and day patient psychiatric cover as standard for Britons living abroad. Teresa Rogers, international business development manager, says: "Whilst living and working abroad can be an enriching experience, we recognise that some people find the many cultural differences challenging and difficult to cope with."

Ya think? Was someone reading Thai Visa?

[toptuan]

No, it actually restored my sanity. Each to their own.

[Ulysses G.]

If you have plenty of friends and live somewhere that it is easy to meet members of the opposite sex to satisfy certain primal needs, being single has to be less stressful than trying to take care of other's needs.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[a2396]

A good marriage is better than single. A bad marriage is worse than single. Some people prefer being single not matter what. Their choice. Simple as that. No more analysis needed.

[Loz]

A good marriage is better than single. A bad marriage is worse than single. Some people prefer being single not matter what. Their choice. Simple as that. No more analysis needed.

Nailed on!

[thaibeachlovers]

I recently read an article about a similar research study done in the US. I think it was on the CNN website, but I don't want to look up the link right now. It found that, yes, married people had less health problems. But, the catch is that it only applied to happily married people. I believe that it found unhappy married people to be even worse off than singles. And how many unhappy marriages are there these days? A lot.

I wonder if Taiwan is one of the countries with a declining birth rate? Perhaps that is the real reason for the minister's statements. Maybe he was trying to pressure people into getting married and having lots of babies?

Thank you for pointing that out.

I believe ( and flame me if you like, but I've had a lot of years observing most of my friends and family go through the marriage, kids, divorce cycle to formulate an opinion ), that sprogs cause most of the stress in a relationship. For starters, sex pretty much becomes a rarity, and if men are honest, they usually get married to have sex "on tap". I won't even try to say why women get married, but I'm sure it's not to have nookie every 5 minutes.

The most happily married couples I know don't have children, or remarried and have no young ankle biters at home.

I did read a study that said men are happier in marriage than women, and women function better as singles, as they tend to have better support groups.

As for the OP's question, being single most of my life has made me bitter and sad. Work has made me bonkers.

However, as I now have a very compatible and "friendly" TGF, who has accepted we won't be having rugrats, and I have retired early, I hope from now on to be happy and content with life, and less bonkers.

[thaibeachlovers]

If you have plenty of friends and live somewhere that it is easy to meet members of the opposite sex to satisfy certain primal needs, being single has to be less stressful than trying to take care of other's needs.

IMO, wanting to wake up every morning either alone ( unless you dislike others ), or with someone you don't care about has to be a souless existence.

Personally, I believe waking up every day with someone you love and cherish is the only thing that makes life worthwhile.