Intimacy and Hepatitis C: How to Support and Improve Your Relationship

Don't be afraid to have special or intimate moments with your partner, even when dealing with hep C.

The side effects of treatment medications and the emotional burden of hep C can cause difficulties for couples. Still, it is not impossible to deal with this situation. Certain hep C medications can cause fatigue, irritability, and lack of desire as well. If the patient has ascites, sometimes, it is more delicate; It's not just a caregiver/partner that needs to learn how to cope with this situation.

How hepatitis C can impact a relationship

Hepatitis C is hard enough already, and if the patient doesn't ask for help, this can destabilize a relationship. The couple needs to work on it together. It's not about love, it's about the emotional imbalance that all hep C (or other health issues) can create. Sometimes it is better you cuddle, listen to each other, talk about your emotions, and try to exchange the feelings (from fear to love)! As a result, every time we do it, we get a little more confident. Sometimes, if the couple doesn't know how to handle their lack of desire, they may feel more depressive, insecure, aggressive, and afraid.

Dealing with lack of intimacy and hepatitis C

When dealing with hep C, I suggest that couple look for help to make the relationship more stable; Don't allow this situation to destroy your relationship. Both sides need to talk about what they are feeling. In the almost four years between when my husband went through treatment until he received his liver transplant, I saw many patients get hit with divorce. They were preoccupied about the hepatitis C, but not with their emotions as a couple. With hep C, the whole family can get hit emotionally. I do regret trying to feel strong and trying to handle it all by myself without sharing my fears and my insecurities. As a result, I felt alone and my husband did too. But we can't bottle-up our emotions; the results can be bad for all family members.

Depending on what stage of liver disease the patient has, or where they are in the treatment journey, the process can make both tired. If you are a caregiver and still working and have kids, don't hesitate to ask for help. We need to understand each other's feelings; We can't give what we don't have at the moment. Behind every problem in life there is a question to be answered. Behind every answer has an action, and behind every effort is your consciousness that needs to wake-up and realize that when we act with love and compassion, the solution for our needs will come more easily. Couples dealing with hepatitis C need to remember this. Don't give up on your true love when the time gets complicated. Just believe that together, you are strong.

Tips for coping with hepatitis C

Here are seven tips for coping with hep C. Try to make things that will help both of you to focus on yourself at least once a day, such as:

1. Listen to music that makes you feel calm.
2. Try to do yoga.
3. If you don't know yet, learn about meditation.
4. Read a book that can help you cope with anxiety. I recommend two books (both available on Amazon): Eckhart Tolle: Living the Liberated Life and Dealing with the Pain Body and Becoming Supernatural from Dr. Joe Dispenza. Both will help you discover how you can help yourself with the power of your mind, which will help you deal with the situation.
5. Stay grounded: Once a day, walk or lay down in the sand, grass, or soil, put your hands on the garden, or yard. Doing it, you are helping yourself recharging your energy. We all are energy, and nature is a powerful healer.
6. Find ways to reduce anxiety. I use reiki, massage, and CBD oil to help with mine.
7. Don't watch things that will bring negative feelings for you both. Your body's health also depends on your thoughts. What you watch, read, say, and think can change all the results in your life.

Stay strong! Visit my page on Instagram @_unlockyourthoughts to help you deal more with your emotions!