Additional Benefits of Weak Ties
Close relationships are a two-sided coin: They offer support and love, but they also carry grief, worry, and the emotional weight of the diagnosis. Weak ties can offer connection with lower emotional pressure, says Umoh.
The chats you have with the people in your “outer circle” can also give you a break, where you can talk about something separate from medical care. Small-talk topics like the weather, your garden, a sports team, or a mutual love of dogs are opportunities for learning new things and even sharing a laugh.
Weak ties can also allow you to maintain your identity by giving you space to keep doing an activity or topic you enjoy without your disease taking center stage, says Umoh.
Continuing to maintain these activities and connections and stay visible also help push back against shame, says Christine Williams, a doctor of nusing science and a professor emerita at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
“Compared to previous times, the days of being ashamed that you have Alzheimer’s disease are over,” says Williams.
Depending on your level of independence, weak ties can also give your partner some free time, says Umoh.
