If a partner becomes ill during a romantic relationship, it can cause a crisis that is reacted to in different ways and at different times. While one partner may become proactive and start to sort out practical matters, the other may become completely paralyzed. Time may seem to stand still for one, while the other is in a hurry to fulfill all their dreams. One may live in the past, while the other already looks far into the future.
To better understand your own and your partner's behavior, it's important to understand the stages of crisis. If one partner still needs time to internalize what has happened, and the other would like to start processing the crisis by discussing it with close ones, it can be comforting to know that each person goes through the crisis at their own pace and in their own way. The crisis can also be longer or deeper for one than for the other. It's good to discuss this too, together or with the help of a professional.
Many find it comforting to know that being diagnosed with illness always shakes the foundation of security in some way and it is normal to react in many different ways, such as with fatigue, irritability, or withdrawal.
Recognizing and processing the crisis, both individually and in the relationship, is important, and help is available.