Is Arthritis Destroying Your Relationship?

While arthritis slowly destroys your joints, it also may be a significant factor in your deteriorating relationship with your spouse or significant other.  When you have arthritis, you are used to the effects of the disease, but others are not.  Since we have a tendency to forget that arthritis does not just affect the person that has the disease, we must make an effort to understand how it affects our loved ones.

The best way to understand the effect arthritis has on your relationship is to have an open and honest discussion with your loved one.  While this may not be easy, it is the best way to clear the air and show your loved one that you care about how your arthritis affects them.

If you are not sure how to get started or if you try to have the discussion and it fails miserably, then try reading Beyond Chaos: One Man’s Journey Alongside His Chronically Ill Wife, by Gregg Piburn.  It is written from the perspective of the spouse of someone that has fibromyalgia.  Mr. Piburn discusses the relationship with his wife, how fibromyalgia affects them both and how they get through it.  His wife does contribute somewhat to the book as well.

 

This is a great way to open communication in your own relationship.  Take turns reading the book and then talk about what you found interesting.  You’re bound to find some parallels to your life in this book.  I know I did!

Good luck!