The UnEssay: Caregiving in a Monogamous Coupling or Cohabiting Setting

Name Prof Course Name 19 July 2022 Caregiving within a Monogamous Coupling or Cohabiting Setting: Being in a Relation: Ties & Connection, Disjuncture & Departures     Part 1: UnEssay Framing Introduction When two people commit to spending their lives together, it is always a moment of celebration. Such people often envision settling into a beautiful home, growing a family together, and complimenting each other's career aspirations. In movies and popular media, such moments are often glamorous and emotional, involving the enormous decision of dedicating one's life to living with another. However, while reminiscing over the good things that come with coupling or marriage, it is easy to forget the possibility of a disease or incidences that can cause one of the partners to require care, sometimes long-term. In most cases, the partner becomes the designated caregiver. But as studies have shown, the very act of caregiving can either break or strengthen the monogamous relationship (López-Espuela, González-Gil, and Amarilla-Donoso 2). This is even more complicated if cohabiting and not marriage is the current arrangement. Thus, the present paper aims to explore the ties and connections that enhance patient and caregiver relations and the disjuncture or points of departure that may harm this caregiving relation. Role of Caregivers in Monogamous Coupling             Studies have shown that a majority of caregivers consist of family members. In the US, one in every five adults has played the role of a caregiver in the past 12 months (AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving). In a relationship, a caregiver is a person who focuses all their energy on caring for the emotional and physical needs of another. When it comes to close family relatives or partners, caregivers can even give up on their own emotional needs because their goal is to see the partner recover (Sherman). Where it is marriage, the need for caregiving by the partner is reinforced by the contemporary vows of "being together in sickness and in health." However, the sacrifice undertaken by one partner to provide care for the other may result in a strengthened relationship based on the ties and connections that bind the two together or may lead to a breakdown due to the disjuncture or departures that may arise during the caregiving process. Ties and Connections             Among monogamous couples, the first core tie or connection is that the two have dedicated their lives to each other. In essence, the two have pledged to be with each other, and naturally, they are supposed to take care of each other's needs. It is in this aspect that marital vows are said. Therefore, this first connection or tie of 'love' forms the basis on which caregiving can be satisfying. People who care for their partners can find satisfaction because it highlights a practical means of putting love into action (López-Espuela, González-Gil, and Amarilla-Donoso 3). The relationship before a disability forms the basis of ties or...