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Contracts
with our Partner
by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson
An excerpt from Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach
I think that all
close relationships
are based on a sort of unwritten contract, which defines what the
relationship
will consist of and what roles the members will play. A typical
example:
He'll be the major breadwinner and take care of the care and home
maintenance.
She may go out to work, too, but not at the expense of the children, or
the meals, laundry, and tidiness of the home. (There are as many
variants
to this as there are couples, and this is no less true where both the
pronouns
are she, or he.) Without thinking about it, most couples include in
this
unspoken contract the expectation that the significant other (SO) will
remain in the same state of health as s/he was in when the relationship
began. That's where we get into trouble.
Let's assume for
a moment
that part of the problem in a troubled relationship where one spouse
has
FMS is that s/he isn't living up to that part of the contract. If this
is so, then anger on the part of the well spouse is an understandable
response,
as is guilt and/or defensiveness on the part of the PWF. It doesn't
matter
that neither the anger nor the guilt/defensiveness is rationally
justified.
No one is to blame for feeling the way s/he does. Feelings are facts
that
must be dealt with, by both parties.
What to do? If
this rings
any bells with you, how about a conversation on the subject, some time
when interruptions are unlikely and things aren't too tense for a calm
appraisal of the situation? How about an honest expression of regret
that
you can't do all the things you used to be able to do, an expression of
hope that the day will come when you're able again, and a promise to
learn
everything you can about FMS to make that day come as soon as possible.
Make it OK for your SO to express feelings of anger, fear, frustration,
whatever, without your feeling attacked and criticized. Acknowledge
that,
for the time being at least, you've each lost something of value in the
relationship, and promise to help each other retrieve it.
Copyright
©1997, Miryam Ehrlich Williamson - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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