Family & Marital Issues - How Arthritis Impacts Family and Marriage

It's a challenge to deal with arthritis. It's even more of a challenge to be married and dealing with arthritis. Your spouse can be your main support -- that is, if you get what you need from your spouse. How can you get what you need from your spouse to make living with arthritis easier?

Physical limitations caused by arthritis affect your daily life, and affect your spouse in some ways too. Have you tried to minimize the impact of your arthritis on your spouse?

At some point, most people with arthritis are presented with unwanted advice. How do you respond?

Arthritis affects not only you, but the people around you as well. Especially those closest to you. What's your opinion -- does your arthritis affect your spouse? How much does arthritis affect your spouse?

Your family may have been just as frightened as you were when they heard you were diagnosed with arthritis. Do you remember how your family reacted to your diagnosis?

Family and friends are impacted by arthritis as well as the person diagnosed with it. Do family and friends really understand? What more can family and friends do to enhance their understanding of arthritis?

Many changes occur in the life of someone who must live with a chronic condition such as arthritis. It not only affects the person who has the disease, but also significantly impacts the people around them.

When chronic illness strikes difficulties develop which are so complex that statistics show nearly 85% of marriages eventually fail.

Living with arthritis can add extra difficulties and challenges to parenting. Here are some positive strategies for effective parenting when you live with arthritis or a related disease.

It is the desire of every parent to do the best they can for their children. All parents feel that way. Imagine the thought process of a parent who lives with chronic arthritis, the pain and limitations, and eventual disability. How are children impacted when a parent has rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? What changes from the perspective of the kids? I asked my husband Rick's sons, my stepsons.

It can and probably will happen to all married couples. One spouse will get sick. Sometimes very sick. The well spouse will have to learn how to cope with many feelings and realities. It can bring you closer together or break you apart.

Many different research studies are discovering that being married can help you stay healthy.

A CDC report reinforces previous studies showing that married adults are healthier than those who never married, divorced, or are widowed.

This is a step-by-step course that can help the two of you enhance your marriage relationship. Find out why expectations and myths can harm your marriage. Learn how to fight fairly. Check out ways to celebrate your coupleness.

Just as a happy marriage can keep you healthy, an unhappy, stressful relationship can shorten your life.

Many couples today find that being married doesn't guarantee that they will have quality time with one another. Busy spouses have to plan to spend time together. Here are some ideas.

The general concept of a weekly family night is to spend an evening once a week where the family is together having a meaningful experience together. In other words, watching the latest installment of a favorite sitcom doesn't count!