Relationship Support
Caring for a loved one who is living with MS can put additional strain on a relationship. These resources will help keep your relationship front and center.
CAN DO MS: Caring for Your Partnership While Caring for Yourself
A care partner relationship is complex and ever-evolving. In this article, two psychologists who specialize in working with people affected by MS share insights into keeping your relationship healthy and robust.
CAN DO MS: Self-Care -- Putting On Your Own Oxygen Mask First
To survive and thrive as a care partner, it’s essential that you attend to your own physical and emotional wellbeing. This article focuses on overcoming the guilt that a care partner may experience and learning to "care" for your own needs as well as your partner's.
CAN DO MS: Navigating Partnership Boundaries
This article will remind you why developing limit-setting skills is so important for care partners.
CAN DO MS: Renegotiating Parent-Child Boundaries
Adult children with more advanced progressive MS may reach a point when they can no longer live independently. This article explains how moving back to their family's home requires a redefinition of the parent-child relationship.
CAN DO MS: The Physical & Emotional Aspects of Intimacy in MS
An article that provides tips and strategies for maintaining intimacy when a partner is living with MS.
CAN DO MS: The Physical & Emotional Aspects of Intimacy in MS
An article that provides tips and strategies for maintaining intimacy when a partner is living with MS.
CAN DO MS: Relationships and Intimacy
An article written by a psychologist and nurse practitioner that offers suggestions for building a foundation of intimacy when a partner is living with MS.
CAN DO MS: Care Partner Meetups
Held 6 times a year, these virtual meetups offer a supportive space for care partners to find community, support, and understanding.
National MS Society: Intimacy and Sexuality in MS
Download this booklet that details the challenges to intimacy presented by MS and offers strategies for overcoming them.
Article: Managing Resentment -- Challenges of Spousal Caregiving
You may find yourself grieving the relationship you had before your partner’s MS journey began. This grief, together with the immense weight of responsibilities and sacrifices, can build resentment over time. Recognizing and understanding resentment are the first steps in managing it. This article teaches you to spot the signs of caregiver resentment of your spouse and helps you navigate it effectively.