Your relationship with your brothers or sisters can change when you have cancer. They might have similar feelings and worries to you, and be finding it hard to share their feelings with you or your parents. They could be worried that sharing their feelings with you will upset you or make you angry.
It can often help you both to talk about your feelings. It’ll help you understand what each other is going through. Explaining some of the stuff that’s happening to you can help your brother or sister make sense of things. Having them visit you in hospital can also help. Helping them understand what’s happening can make relationships easier.
Some young people become closer to their brothers or sisters. It might be that you spend more time with them than before. There may be other times when they annoy you or make you mad. It can be a good idea to get some space on your own. It’s OK to let them know that you need your own space sometimes.
You might feel really angry or jealous if your brother or sister is going out with their friends and ‘getting on with their life’. You can sometimes feel isolated and lonely when other people’s lives go on as normal. It’s important to remember that things can be hard for them too. They need some normality in their life. Meeting up with friends can help them cope with the changes at home.
help your brother or sister find information
You could ask them to have a look at our deal with it section. There’s some helpful advice and information for brothers and sisters. They could also check out the share it section to see how others coped with things. Knowing that what they’re feeling is normal can help them cope with it better.
