Family and friends
Chronic pain is not just the individual woman's problem. It affects the whole family, relationships, children, and friends. When you are chronically ill, it is good to have family and friends around to help and support you, and if you do not have a family, it is especially important to take care of the good friendships you do have. It can be a huge relief to have someone to talk to about what is difficult and the feelings you are experiencing with the pain, and it means a lot that those closest to you can understand you.
In the first few years of suffering from endometriosis and persistent pain, the disease and the pain obviously get a lot of attention. During this period, it is really important to be aware that when the disease and pain turn out to be chronic and the situation may not change immediately, it can be a challenge and actually a burden for family and friends to keep hearing the same complaints from the pain sufferer about how unfair life is.
It can take a toll on those around them, and many find that former friends drop out. This may be because the person in pain isolates themselves, but it may also be because friends find it difficult to relate to illness and suffering, especially when there is no change. Relationships and marriages can also break down during this period. Therefore, joining a patient association or using a support group to share frustrations and get advice on how to deal with the disease and pain can be a relief for family and friends.
As a chronic pain patient, you need to take care of your social relationships as they will be important to you in the future, and it can be harder to establish new friendships due to the limitations that pain can cause. Sharing both the good and the bad with others in the same situation can prove to be a great help for the person with chronic pain, as well as being what makes friendships and family relationships last.
As time goes on, and as the situation changes and pain management improves, new challenges arise in terms of family and friends. Most people feel a strong need to help someone who is suffering from illness and pain, but now, as a pain patient, you may not feel the same need to be constantly reminded of your endometriosis and pain.
Now you may need to talk about ordinary everyday things and not be constantly asked how you are feeling. Many people find that they get in a bad mood and perhaps even feel that the pain intensifies when they are reminded of it. Therefore, it can be a good idea to tell both family and friends what the situation is and what you need from them. What do you need them to ask you about and not? What considerations need to be taken into account? And what do you need help with?
