One of the key elements in good communication, and vitally important to maintain good relationships when you suffer from chronic disease... It actually feels like all the relationships in my life made a significant improvement when I learned this simple trick:
Say what you need!
Instead of waiting or hoping for people to guess what you need, and getting annoyed and irritated when they don't anticipate your needs (and then being upset with them without saying why). Just say it out loud! Ok, maybe you don't need a megaphone to do this, just be direct and open about it. Don't take it too seriously or make it into a "You don't give me what I need!" discussion, just try to say in plain language what your needs are without forcing any guilt issues on anyone else.
"I need help with lifting the groceries/doing the laundry"
"I need you to listen to me without doing other stuff for 20 minutes"
"I need more attention"
"I need a hug"
It makes such a big difference when you can communicate that clearly.... and the reduced stress, irritation and tension is bound to help your pain level, not to mention the help you'll get once you start asking for it!
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