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Health Emergencies Cause Problems In Relationships

19th July, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Learning that a family member has a serious illness is just as bad as getting your own diagnosis. If you are the main caregiver, taking care of them will exhaust you. In many ways, this role is tougher than your own sickness because you have so little control. If you have just had an operation or you are suffering from pain, you can move your body or shift your position. If you feel severe pain, you know it is time for a pill or some rest. If your loved one is in pain, you never really know if they are fine, regardless of what they say. You are not able to shift them or control them until you know they really are feeling better. This is a big stress, especially if you are used to always being able to fix a problem. Sometimes all you can do is wait patiently and offer them emotional support. In other cases, a bodily function is working incorrectly and there is no quick fix. All you can do is love your relative through the stress. When couples face fertility problems, it can be tough for both spouses. You can visit a fertility clinic but you have to rely on doctors and nature to run its course. To make things more complicated, your spouse may feel as if they have let you down. Problems like this create stress in a relationship.

Another issue those helping a family member through a medical problem face is financial strain. Serious medical problems are costly even when there is health insurance coverage. If a couple is facing a serious sickness and one has to stop working, there may be some resentment between them, especially if the worker is paying the medical costs. The ill person may feel like a burden which can also strain relations. Worse yet, kids may feel neglected because the focus is on healing an illness, there will be a whole other set of problems. Parents may feel frustrated if kids act out during the stressful time.

The best thing a family can do when dealing with a medical issue is to keep the lines of communication open. This can be tough if the focus is on other things like visiting doctors and paying bills. If you feel guilty about some of your feelings, that can wear you down too. As a family, vow to work through the stressful times together. Agree that any feelings anyone has are fine, as long as they are discussed and not judged. Just because a feeling is there does not mean anything will come of it. Illnesses are tough for families. If you and your relatives have a medical challenge, deal with it as a family.