Caring and Your Relationships

Being a carer can have a significant impact on your relationships with the person you care for, as well as with friends, family, and colleagues. Some changes can be positive, while others may feel more challenging.  The dynamic between you and the person you care for is likely to shift, and boundaries within your relationship may evolve; especially if you're caring for a partner or parent. These changes can happen gradually or unexpectedly, and it’s common for relationships to feel quite different from what they once were.  It’s also natural to experience a sense of loss for the relationship you once had. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to feel during this time, your emotions are valid and part of the journey.

This section provides helpful resources, practical guidance, and tips on seeking support and building coping strategies. It aims to ensure your own needs are not overlooked, both in your relationships and through services offered by Lanarkshire Carers and other local providers.

Looking After Your Relationships While Caring

Caring for someone you love can be deeply rewarding—but it can also feel overwhelming at times. It’s easy to put your own needs last, and that can affect your relationships with family and friends.

Carers UK shares practical ways to stay connected and supported:

• Talk openly about how you’re feeling. Honest conversations can ease misunderstandings.
• Reach out for help when things feel tough. GPs, counselling, and local carer groups are there for you.
• Stay connected through online forums or apps like Jointly to share responsibilities.
• Take time for yourself, even small breaks matter. You deserve care too.

You can find more guidance and support at Carers UK:

Carers UK: Your Relationships

Carers UK: Coping with Guilt, Resentment and other Difficult Emotions

Carers UK: Your Family and Friends

Carer Training Opportunities

Lanarkshire Carers Carer Training Programme covers a wide range of topics, including relationships.

The programme is based on the need and demand from carers, with courses identified and sourced through carers’ needs identified during conversations and via carer feedback and pilot sessions hosted to gauge interest. Sessions are delivered in various locations across Lanarkshire, we also offer online sessions to ensure accessibility for all carers.

Click here to view our Carer Training Programme

Please remember you can always contact us to talk about your carer training needs/ideas and to discuss how this might help support you in your caring role.

Carer Counselling and Wellbeing Service

In partnership with an independent provider, Lanarkshire Carers offer counselling and wellbeing services to carers, which includes relationship counselling. This service is a short focused intervention that can help you to achieve personal outcomes that might be important to you and manage the day-to-day demands of your caring role.

The counselling and wellbeing service is an integral part of our outcome-based services and preventative approach. This service will help you as a carer to meet outcomes identified as part of your Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) conversations.

Please contact us and a member of the team will be able to assist you further.

Relationships Scotland

Relationships Scotland is the largest provider of relationship support services across Scotland, offering counselling, family mediation, and child contact centres. Their mission is to help individuals, couples, children, and families navigate relationship challenges and improve communication.

For more information, visit: www.relationships-scotland.org.uk