Managing the Impact of Cancer on Your Relationship
Last Friday week we attended a large conference held by our friends at the Irish Cancer Society which celebrated cancer survivorship. The conference celebrated the fantastic achievement of its many members overcoming the toughest of life challenges.
A diagnosis of cancer is a huge life-changing event for both the patient and their partner and family. Apart from the often gruelling nature of the treatment, one of the biggest challenges a cancer survivor faces is how to respond and deal with the effect of that diagnosis on the people closest to them.
People around you might not know how to react and give you the support you need. Sometimes they can stay silent due to 
shock of the news. The impact of cancer on your relationship can be huge.
Such reactions could leave you with a sense of abandonment at a time which you may feel is critical for support. As it can be a long-term illness and road to recovery it’s important to overcome these communication barriers in order to ease distress.
Your partner may not know how to react. They might pretend that the situation is not happening, but you need them to be strong to support you on the road to recovery. The silence can begin to impact on other areas of your relationship and can have a ripple effect reaching far and wide in your relationship.
At Relationships Ireland we have seen communication issues occur in 75% of all cases we deal with. With over 50 years of experience in this field our relationship experts can help you and your partner begin to communicate again and lay that foundation on the road to your recovery with the people you love giving you the essential support you need.
When a parent is diagnosed with cancer it can have far reaching emotional effects on the whole family. It can lead to a change in the roles and responsibilities within the household.
When you are caring for a partner who has fallen ill can turn your world upside down. You might need to work full time, take on the vast majority of household roles, parenting duties and care for your partner. Sometimes this can put a massive strain on you as you struggle to cope with all these extra duties in order to keep the family unit functioning as normal as possible.
It’s natural and understandable that you will have mixed feelings about your additional responsibilities around parenting. Feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger and a feeling of helplessness and being overwhelmed are normal. They are normal feelings to have and it’s important not to feel guilty about them as cancer can impact on your relationship even if you are not the person suffering from the illness.
The best tool to use to combat these feelings and be strong for your family is communication. At Relationships Ireland we can help any couple or individual to communicate their feelings when they come up and express it freely. When you or your partner is battling a serious illness it’s essential that support is given. We can help you overcome those feelings and unite you in the biggest battle your relationship can face.
Tags: cancer, impact of cancer on relationship, relationships