How a Support Network Can Help You and Your Partner Cope Better with Endometriosis

Supporting someone with endometriosis can be a heavy burden to carry, especially if that person’s endo is severe and affects how they are able to live their day-to-day life. You may find yourself taking on more chores, more childcare, more financial responsibility. On top of this, you may have your own health and wellbeing issues to deal with, a job to hold down, responsibilities and obligations to others that must be kept. This can quickly create an unsustainable situation that can have a negative impact on everyone involved. But, you don’t have to do it alone.

Building a support network

Helping your partner develop a strong support network is a great way to support your partner, but also create a more sustainable lifestyle for the both of you. A support network often consists of close people around you - friends and family members – who are aware of the situation (in this case, your partner’s endo and related health issues) and can help out, lend a hand, or just offer some kind words and a shoulder to cry on.

How support people can help

Some examples of how a support network can help might include a mother (or in-law) who knows about endo flare-ups and can help out with childcare during those times when you’re not able to, or a friend who can drop round some groceries or take a package to the post office when your partner is unable to. These may seem like small tasks, and they probably are to the people helping out, but to someone struggling with an endo flare-up or constant pain, having this burden eased can be life changing.

Offering emotional support

As well as helping out with physical tasks, having people around that your partner can confide in, who are outside of your relationship is healthy and very useful. Endometriosis can be a sensitive and very personal topic, but it is also a very common condition that deserves to be spoken about more openly. Of course, it is up to your partner who they do or don’t share their health, wellbeing, financial or any other concerns with, so creating a support network should be a task that you agree to and undertake together.

Benefits for the caregiver

Finally, a support network may also not only be useful for your partner. As I’ve said, supporting someone with a chronic condition like endometriosis can be difficult, and having people around you who you can talk to and confide in is essential. You don’t have to bear the weight of your responsibilities and concerns by yourself – a small but reliable network of friends and family around you can raise you up and make you feel stronger and more resilient than ever before.