The Interpersonal Dimension

Abstract

The increased dependency produced by chronic illness can disrupt relationships within the family (Links & Kaplan, 1980; E.A. Ziegler, 1987). Some family members may become overprotective or indulgent, fearing that the patient will die or become incapacitated. This can take the form of “anxious supervision” and nagging about what the patient can or cannot do. The patient then becomes angry and rebels against the overprotection and dependency. Family members can resent the patient’s special status, thinking that no one appreciates how their own lives have changed as a result of the illness. They begin to feel neglected and unimportant in their own right, since so much attention is drawn to the patient.