Don't bottle it up!

There's a method to my madness. I know I'm unconventional--a.k.a flat out insane--but that's not all bad, there is indeed something to be said for voicing my opinion and saying (sometimes shouting, I admit) how I feel when I'm ticked off. Especially when arguing with hubby dearest.

I came across the following article in Real Simple (July 2005), a magazine I enjoy:

Speak Your Mind (Your Body Will Thank You)
Whoever said silence is golden had it all wrong--at least when it comes to arguing with your husband. It's not just bad for your self-esteem to hold back from expressing yourself; it can also take years off your life. Examining data from a 10-year follow-up of 3, 682 participants in the Framingham Offspring Study, researchers found that women who habitually held their tongues in conflicts with their spouses were four times more likely to die during that follow-up period than those who spoke up. These findings, from Boston University researchers in collaboration with epidemiologist and principal investigator Elaine Eaker, were reported in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.
The cause may be the stress that comes from suppressing emotions, suggests New York City cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and the author of Women Are Not Small Men (Ballantine, $16): "Women may smile and say everything is Ok, but inside their blood is boiling, which raises the levels of stress hormones." These hormones (among them cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) can, in turn, lead to the development of coronary heart disease. Goldberg's advice? Speak up--and seek help if you have a hard time doing so--because a heavy heart is not a healthy heart.



Ok, there you have it, I hope I remember this the next time I feel guilty for getting in an argument with the hubby. Hey, it's good for my heart. Go speak your mind!!! (But don't break anything, or anyone).