Essay on Positive and Negative Effects of Marriage

“Marriage is the process by which two people make their relationship public, officials and permanent” according to PsychologyToday. Marriage allows your relationship to be recognized by the government. People can marry for multiple reasons, including religion, economic benefits, or for love and companionship. The social clock has changed in America, with more people marrying later in their life. There are many reasons why people are deciding to push marriage off.

Marriage can be both beneficial and negative. Marriage can provide better economic stability for both partners. When you marry, you can receive a marital tax deduction. This allows you to transfer assets to your spouse without being taxed for it. You are also able to obtain your spouse’s benefits including social security and health insurance. Prenuptials are a secure way to keep your assets in a marriage. By having a prenuptial, people can keep their original assets no matter if there is a split or divorce.

Married couples are generally more financially stable, with “the median household income of married families is twice gag of divorced households and four times that of esperares households” according to the website Marripedia. Married people also have mental health and biological benefits. For example, married people typically live longer: “Research consistently shows that couples in a committed marriage live longer that those that are single” said Ivy Jacobson, author of the article “13 Legal Benefits of Marriage.”

Because both people feel constant support from their partners, mental stability is improved, allowing the couple to live longer and decrease the chance of depression. Mental health is extremely important in the health of the relationship. By bottling up emotions and thoughts, it can negatively impact your self-esteem and increase stress. By having a partner, you are allowed to open up and feel heard, decreasing that stress and improving the way you look at yourself. Marriage increases serotonin levels.

Serotonin is a chemical and neurotransmitter in the human body and is “sometimes called the happy chemical because it contributes to wellbeing and happiness” stated James McIntosh in his article “What is Serotonin and What Does It Do?” Having a significant other to provide physical affection and emotional support triggers the release of serotonin, helping create a positive mindset. Marriage can also result in divorce and financial stability. According to the website DivorceStatistics, “current divorce statistics in America is estimated to be fifty percent.” It is projected that the divorce rate will continue at this same rate in the future, making your chance of a lasting marriage unlikely.

As well as a chance that your marriage will fail, a divorce is very expensive. Divorce with child custody and support issues cost about 26 thousand dollars. A divorce without child custody and support is about 17 thousand dollars. These extremely high costs can leave both sides of the party in major economic distress.

There is also a possibility that you could be marrying into a financial burden. If one person obtains debt, the spouse will carry that debt as well. “Researchers analyzed the relationship of 4500 couples and found arguments about money were the top predictor of divorce,” says Nancy Durham, author of “Should You Tie the Knot? Financial Reasons Why Marriage Might Be A Misstep.” As a married couple, you will need to plan your future financial situations and be able to save money efficiently.

Negative mental health characteristics can also arise from marriage. One spouse may become too emotionally dependent on their partners, causing stress and tension between the two. That spouse may start to feel as though they need their partner to be happy and can become too emotionally reliant on them. As well as one partner being too emotionally invested, mental health disorders do not help. Negative emotional reactions caused by disorders can become intensified.

Partners that cannot get the support and assistance they need from their partners often resort to substance abuse and isolation. According to Pierre Imlay, a mental health therapist, in his article “Mental Illness in Couple Relationships,” “when the marital stress is at its peak, there’s a greater likelihood of substance misuse, the movement toward divorce, and male aggression.” Marriage can be viewed in both a positive and negative way.

Marriage can be very beneficial to couples that have communicated to each other about their expectations for the relationship and marriage, their future, economic situation, and their mental health. If there is a major disagreement, you may want to rethink about getting married and weigh out the pros or cons, or else you may just end up being another statistic for divorce. Although marriage has many components that should be discussed beforehand, it ultimately is a beautiful thing that should be shared and taken seriously.