[A desperate family member. Suggestions for a successful interaction]

In everyday clinical practice relatives are often perceived as an additional burden, as a problem. Relatives appear, for example, to be overwhelmed, desperate, (co-)affected, demanding, or in some cases even (verbally) abusive. Alongside sympathetic and co-operative relatives, others are perceived as annoying and not very constructive. Such judgements are often made intuitively and without reflection and are therefore a permanent obstacle to further communication on the ward. This article is therefore intended to provide a deeper understanding of the situation of distressed relatives and to show ways of achieving a successful relationship with these relatives.