How Sickness And Disability Can Bring Family Closer Together
For most people, the idea that sickness and disability could bring anything good to our families seems like magical thinking. But it turns out that there is almost always a silver lining in these situations. It’s just a question of taking advantage of it.
Most people’s lives are incredibly busy. We float from one activity to the next, never really taking a break from our hectic schedules. We “snatch time” here and there with our families, but never really have enough time to connect in the way we’d like to. It’s tragic.
Illness and disability, however, change all that. All of a sudden, we’re thrown into a care situation where we have a responsibility for another family member. And that’s a rare event.
The psychology of these events is quite interesting. Before the health setback, there was no reason for one person to depend on another. Everyone had their independence and were proud of it. After all, being “strong” and “self-reliant” are pillars of our culture - something that everyone is expected to strive for.
But once healthcare needs take hold, relationships finally have an opportunity to get more intimate. The person giving the care has a legitimate reason to look after the person being cared for, giving them a sense of purpose. And the individual on the receiving end gets to experience practical love in a way that simply wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
The support for carers these days is also quite considerable. Things like the PCS give caregivers financial support when providing care to relatives so that they don’t have to work jobs on the side to make ends meet.
There are also networks of people online that make the job more manageable and provide advice for how to do it long-term sustainably.
Once you get a system together, though, it can actually help to improve family relationships in ways you never expected. Here are some of the benefits that you might see.
People Feel More Connected To Each Other
The first benefit is the increase in the sense of intimacy that people have when they rely on each other. We live such atomised lives that it is hard to find opportunities for dependency in the modern world. Sickness and disability remind us all where our roots are.
It Brings Out The Best In People
Some people have a caring heart but don’t always have an outlet for it. Everyone seems so in control of their lives that it is hard to offer help when they need it.
Health problems, therefore, can bring out the best in people. It provides them with an opportunity to show just how much they care.
It Gives People A Purpose
Finding purpose in a modern secular world is a challenge. The dominant view is that the only purpose we have is the one that we create for ourselves..
For many people, that’s a massive challenge. Coming up with a real purpose in life is difficult. That’s why illness and strife in the family can sometimes be a silver lining. You have something worth working for.
