Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
Hello All! I'm curious to see what you have to say about this topic. I'm a sophomore in high school and I've recently started dating someone. He's an extremely nice person and this is my first relationship. I'm worried though about still going through a flare and starting a relationship. I have found that when I don't feel very good my feelings towards him and muted and not as strong, understandably so because when I don't feel good I'm not really feeling anything or anyone. I'm worried though about the emotional requirement needed for a relationship and frankly just the time in general. This year I have pretty much cut out all extracurriculars and am just doing the bare minimum of school and I am still kinda struggling. I'm huge into good communication, for obvious reasons, and have already talked to him about how during the school year i won't be able to hang out much or do much. Does anyone have any experience/tips in this department?
I was diagnosed with RA when I was 16, a sophomore in highschool. I'm now 22 so I can relate to your situation! For me, I've always had a tough time developing relationships with ANYONE. I was embarrassed of my RA when I was diagnosed. I felt different and people would just laugh at me and say "that's what old people get" or they'd say "you're just exaggerating". Nobody really understood. Because of the insecurity I had in Highschool, it wasn't until I was about 20 years old that I would open up to people about my disease. And nowadays, it's one of the first things I tell new friends/boyfriends because I need that support, patience and understanding before I will pursue anything. It's hard for a person at 16, who doesn't have RA, to really ynderYand what someone with RA is going theough. If he cares, it won't bother him that you can't go out all the time and do what everyone else is doing. He should be content with staying in with you and adjusting to your needs. And I totally understand how you can shut down and cut people out when you're not feeling well. I do it all the time. Having RA and trying to build relationships can be overwhelming so if you're feeling that way, it's normal and you're not alone! You just need to surround yourself with people who will stand by you! :)