THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE: BOOZING

(July, 2016) What’s the secret to a long marriage? Turns out it’s alcohol. According to a study published in The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Series, couples who drink alcohol together reported a less negative relationship quality over time, and the results were “significantly greater among wives.” The study found that couples over the age 50 had better marriages if both couples drank or if both couples abstained from drinking. However, if one person in the relationship remained sober while the other drank, couples were more likely to report of an unsatisfied marriage, especially wives. Researchers surveyed 4,864 married people in 2,767 couples who have been together for an average of 33 years, two thirds of which were on their first marriage. The study asked participants how many times per week they drank, and how much they threw down their gullet once they started. Then researchers asked if they found their spouse “irritating, critical or too demanding.” “We’re not sure why this is happening,” said Dr. Kira Birditt of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, “but it could be that couples that do more leisure time activities together have better marital quality.” She adds, “The study shows that it’s not about how much they’re drinking, it’s about whether they drink at all.” But just because they’re happier doesn’t mean there aren’t problems. Approximately 20 percent of men and 6 percent of women in the study had significant drinking problems.
* Good news. Because alcohol has always been such a stabilizing force in the past.
* More couples tried to take the survey, but they were too drunk.
* So sometimes it’s good if your marriage is on the rocks.
* “We’re not sure why this is happening”? Here’s an idea: You can’t fight when you’re both passed out.