{"id":2100,"date":"2025-03-07T12:22:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T18:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siglo21.cr\/?p=2100"},"modified":"2025-08-04T17:19:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:19:29","slug":"emociones-de-una-pareja-con-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siglo21.cr\/eng\/2025\/03\/07\/emociones-de-una-pareja-con-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Emotions of a couple with cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dr. Vera Campos, Psychologist.
Let's talk about the emotions a couple facing cancer treatment may experience. If you would like emotional support through an appointment with our psychologist, please don't hesitate to contact us. sending us a message <\/a><\/summary>
Karen Avatar<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sthe relationship can be strengthened<\/em> a partner even with a cancer diagnosis<\/p>Dr. Vera Campos<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Emotions of a couple with cancer: Faced with this type of diagnosis, we will experience many emotions, sometimes feeling like we are soaring high and then suddenly falling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This not only happens to the person with a cancer diagnosis but also to their environment, their family and of course also to their partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, we need to understand How is that couple coping with a diagnosis?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we say that the couple is united and there is support and solidarity to face the illness, we can interpret that there will be a shared burden, distributed to receive the support that the patient requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are cases where reality is different, where there are conflicts or the relationship is unstable, and then a cancer diagnosis is suddenly presented. When this happens, it adds another layer of stress to the already existing problems. Proper emotional management for a couple with cancer will make all the difference in their cancer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the relationship is dysfunctional or lacks a solid foundation, problems may begin to escalate and other issues may arise. In these cases, the patient may not feel supported by their partner, adding stress <\/strong>which involves detecting that the spouse is disengaging from the situation or does not provide the expected help<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether the relationship is functional or dysfunctional There is always the capacity to generate change; studies indicate that a diagnosis can strengthen a relationship or, quite the opposite.<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The most common emotions experienced by a couple with a cancer diagnosis are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emotions: Fear and Anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear of disease progression, treatment effects, or even the possibility of loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is experienced differently by both the patient and their partner. The patient's partner often tends to repress these fears because they feel they must be the support of the sick person; they don't allow themselves to express these feelings because they feel that the patient\u2014their partner\u2014needs their strength. These fears begin to be hidden and are not addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiencing sadness and grief as a couple: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pain due to loss of health, changes in routine or in roles within the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: Activities that were previously done as a couple, such as going out, running, or cycling, now change because of the diagnosis. This creates a sense of loss due to the lack of these enjoyable activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's important to remember that these activities aren't lost, but rather that the fear of loss and the grief experienced can make them seem like activities that are no longer viable and must be abandoned. It's crucial to remember that you don't necessarily have to give up everything you want to do; you can continue doing things, always in a different way. In this process, if you support each other as a couple, you become a network of support. Some things will change, but remember that you are an individual who can continue with your purpose and lifestyle without neglecting the person you are supporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us always remember that the proper management of the emotions of a couple with cancer will make a difference in their cancer process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facing Anger and Frustration as a Couple<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feelings of helplessness or anger about the situation. These feelings can generate a lot of frustration. Wanting your partner to feel calm and happy, but sometimes feeling frustrated because you see them sad and down, not knowing what to do to boost their positivity, and that's where the frustration comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's important to remember that all these emotions are valid, but how we manage them is vital. How will I, as a support network, cope, and how will the person experiencing the illness perceive it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often focus only on what we say and not on what we leave unsaid: silence and nonverbal communication are important, and sometimes the person with the diagnosis becomes hypervigilant to certain behaviors and our reactions. We may communicate with our voice that we are fine, but our body language may show that we are depressed; we must pay attention to this. Proper emotional management in a relationship with cancer is vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Feeling of Guilt<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This feeling is shared and carries a heavy burden for the caregiver, stemming from the feeling of not doing enough, and for the person diagnosed with cancer, it can lead to feelings of guilt for being a burden to their partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guilt needs to be managed because there are rational and irrational kinds of guilt. If we are proactive and independent people and suddenly become dependent on someone else for care and attention, we begin to feel like a burden. We must remember that this is a process, and that if my partner were the one who needed that help, I would provide it. We need to learn how to manage this guilt so that it doesn't become an emotional burden; we need to know how to handle these emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living as a Couple: Hope and Resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the difficult times, many couples find new ways to connect and discover strengths within their relationship. The diagnosis itself can bring a couple much closer, allowing them to find support and resilience in each other. Conversely, it can be a process that helps me make decisions when I realize my partner isn't the way I need or expect them to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient's partner or caregiver must remember that they are just as important as the patient. Sometimes the partner or caregiver prioritizes the patient, and that's appropriate, but we also have the right to ask for help, the right to say, "I'm tired," "I don't know what to do," "I'm scared."
Your suffering is not secondary.<\/strong>You have the right to be well and to ask for the support you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some thoughts may arise during this process:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n