Diabetes is a disease that can affect all aspects of a person’s life. Sometimes, diabetes can prevent a person from working full time. When this happens, it may be possible to receive Social Security Disability/Supplemental Security Income (SSD/SSI) benefits to supplement income.
Diabetes can also affect a person’s marriage, a new study reports. The study was recently published in the journal Diabetes Care and it suggests that relationships in which one person suffers from type 1 diabetes can be strained by the disease.
Married couples can face major issues caused by type 1 diabetes, including concerns over low blood sugar and future complications. The study suggests that relationship and marital stress can affect diabetes, which it why it recommends that doctors ask their diabetic patients how things are going at home during check-ups.
The study suggested that it may be helpful on the marriage for the partner who doesn’t have diabetes to meet with the doctor so that they have a better understanding of the disease their spouse lives with and how to deal with it.
The study also found that those who suffered from diabetes wanted support without blame from their significant others. The good news is that most of those involved with the study said they felt supported by their partners and that the illness made them closer.
However, a smaller number of diabetics in the study did say the disease caused problems in their marriage. With any disease, it can be very hard on the sufferer as well as his or her spouse. That’s why many couples dealing with disability or illness go to counseling or seek support in other ways.
Source: WebMD, “Type 1 Diabetes Puts Strain on Marriage,” Miriam E. Tucker, March 15, 2013
