If you, or someone you love, is limited in their daily function by a chronic pain or illness, you already know how difficult this can be for everyone in the family. For those of you who are interested in how we can help family members who are feeling the strain, please refer to our page on Caregiving. If you are the individual with pain or illness, please ask yourself if the following questions fit for your situation.

• Are tired of the well-meaning suggestions of others about how you can "get on" with your life?
• Are you experiencing sadness, anger, anxiety, or guilt?
• Are you frustrated with the illness or pain "taking over your life" and want to find a way to move on?
• Are you feeling resentment towards family and friends that are trying to be helpful?
• Do you feel well-meaning family members "just don't get it"?
• Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts?
• Do you feel the need to talk about your situation even when everyone around you seems tired of listening?
• Are you feeling that family and friends are losing patience?
• Do you feel like you are alone with your pain?
• Do you feel like you have let the ones you love down and are now are a burden?
• Do you worry about losing your independence?

Some of our clients at Family Therapy Associates, who are suffering with chronic pain and illness, tell us, that although they have been dealing with their situation for a long time, they worry about what will happen when and if they get worse. Some who have recently been diagnosed tell us they worry about the changes they and their family members will have to make . Many worry about the financial burden. Others express concerns about making life and death decisions for themselves as well as how those decisions will affect those they love.

As family therapists, our expertise focuses on relationships. We can help you find new ways to balance the demands of the illness with other needs of the family.

We can help you!

• Reduce stress or conflict among family members.
• Improve the level of understanding about the situation.
• Face changes in the ill family member - changes in personality or a decline in health status.
• Facilitate collaboration among the many medical professionals you may be involved with.
• Accept the illness and discover new ways to move forward.
• Access resources and strengths which can enrich the quality of life .

At Family Therapy Associates, we see many individuals and families that are coping with chronic pain and illness. They tell us that therapy is a helpful way to "put the illness in its place" and discover new ways to move forward with the rest of their lives.

"A lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost".

Jean-Paul Sartre

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