Home
>
Parenting
>
Helping Your Child Cope With A Long-Term Illness

Helping Your Child Cope With A Long-Term Illness

All children will likely have many different health problems during infancy and childhood: the flu, chicken pox, broken bones, stitches, ear infections, to name a few. For most children, these problems are mild ? they come and go without incident and with little disruption in a child's daily life or routine. A chronic long-term medical problem is different and often doesn't come alone, as children with serious medical illnesses are at risk of developing associated emotional problems. Learning to live with a chronic medical condition can be very challenging for a child, for parents, and for siblings and friends, and can lead to feelings of anger, fear and depression.

The way children react to diagnosis with a chronic illness depends on several factors, including the child's personality, the specific illness, family emotional dynamic, and the child's age and emotional maturity.

A smaller child may react aggressively as they begin to cope with changes in schedule due to hospital visits and all the new found pampering, and special attention. In usual development, young children are beginning to assert their sense of independence. Dealing with their illness may challenge their developing self-image and cause the child to feel out of control of their world. They counter lack of control over their world by challenging limits set by parents. A young child can also sense the difference in the attention now being lavished on him / her. This special attention may feel much different to the child and may cause them to react negatively in an attempt to stop the pampering.

The adolescent, in the midst of healthy adolescent behavior, may react to a diagnosis much as they would any other factor which inhibits their control ? by challenging authority and rebelling against family and friends. It is common for a teenager to choose to discontinue all medical treatments and medications. It is important to help your teenager gain a sense of control of their disease management and respect their decisions, while guiding them to safer decisions.

Let's take a look at Laura:

Laura is 9 yrs old. She had always been an energetic child who had maintained a healthy weight since pre-school. Over the past few months, Laura has lost weight, has become lethargic and frequently complained she was hungry and thirsty. Laura's doctor diagnosed her with insulin-dependent, or Type I, diabetes.

Laura is frightened. Her only knowledge of this disease is watching grandpa give himself his insulin shot. She would often run from the room due to her fear of needles.

Laura's initial treatments must be managed in a clinical environment until her glucose is better managed. While in the hospital she refuses to eat and eventually refuses all visitors. The emotional stress that she experiences only adds to the inability to control her diabetes.

Concerned that her emotional state is indicative of depression, Laura's medical team decides to have her evaluated by the mental health team. Laura cooperates for the visit and recommendations were provided to her doctor.

Laura is asked to attend group sessions for children with diabetes and begins to see children in similar situations. Through her sessions, she is encouraged to communicate her fears and concerns to her family, which are received openly and with love and support. While in the hospital, Laura's grandmother taught her to knit which had a tremendous impact upon her ability to move forward. Her knitting was a new found strength.

Here are some ways to assist your child when faced with chronic illness:

? Communicate: Children need age-appropriate honesty about their illness and treatment

? Self-evaluate: Keep yourself in check; your child understands verbal and non-verbal messages regarding the illness

? Support: Build upon your child's strengths.

? Consult: Rely upon your child's medical team for expertise

Dr. Charles Sophy serves as Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), which is responsible for the health, safety and welfare of nearly 40,000 foster children. He also has a private psychiatry practice in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Sophy has lectured extensively and is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California Los Angeles Neuro-Psychiatric Institute. His lectures and teachings are consistently ranked as among the best by those in attendance.

Dr. Charles Sophy, author of the "Keep 'Em Off My Couch" blog, provides real simple answers for solving life's biggest problems. He specializes in improving the mental health of children. To contact Dr. Sophy, visit his blog at http://drsophy.com

bathroom cleaning service Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

The Omoway Omo X features a modular design, obstacle detection and emergency braking, and can drive itself to charging stations, signaling the future of smart urban mobility.

PillTrek, a tiny wireless smart capsule created by Caltech, provides real-time gut health data by detecting electrolytes, metabolites, glucose, hormones, pH levels and temperature.

Learn to spot fake bank text messages with five warning signs of Chase phishing scams, including suspicious links and urgent deadlines designed to steal your account information.

Robot coyotes built on motorized cars reaching 20 mph are being deployed at military airfields as an innovative solution to wildlife threats to aircraft safety.

Explore Google Drive's strengths and weaknesses as a backup solution, including its encryption security, privacy concerns and comparison to dedicated backup tools.

As environmental challenges grow, underwater habitats gain momentum with DEEP's Vanguard, supporting short missions and Sentinel designed for 28-day stays at depth.

The new Urban Eyes safety vest features dual cameras, reflective panels and a wireless remote to deter harassers and provide peace of mind for outdoor workouts.

The $200 billion data broker industry tracks your personal details across websites, posing privacy risks that can be mitigated through data removal services.

UCC Holding has teamed up with COBOD to create desert-inspired, 3D-printed schools in Qatar, featuring dune-like wavy walls impossible with conventional construction.

Darkling beetles equipped with microchip backpacks can be guided through disaster areas using electrical signals, offering a biological solution for search and rescue.

Scammers use number porting to take control of outdated landlines still connected to financial accounts, bypassing two-factor authentication to steal funds while avoiding detection.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey developed Bitchat, a privacy-focused messaging app that works offline via Bluetooth without requiring email, phone numbers or personal data.

Google is making a push to ensure its AI, Gemini, is tightly integrated with Android systems by granting it access to core apps like WhatsApp, Messages, and Phone.

A new green energy system is set to change how we capture clean power, and it all starts with the ocean. French startup Seaturns has designed technology that taps into the natural motion of the sea.

Cybersecurity researchers are warning that hackers have started exploiting flaws in chatbots to carry out AI phishing attacks.

Google has just made it easier than ever to regain control of your inbox with Gmail's new Manage Subscriptions tool.

Despite the benefits, residential power saver programs come with several potential drawbacks and concerns that have been raised by both customers and experts.

The Blackdot AI tattoo machine is quiet. It's steady. And according to early users, it hurts a lot less.

Attackers have started to exploit the very signals that users assume will keep them safe when it comes to add-ons to improve productivity or entertainment.

Located on Cerro Pachón in Chile, the world's most powerful digital camera is set to transform how we see the universe.

The innovative DQ Tower stands 28 feet tall with 420 square feet of living space, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and premium amenities in a prefabricated design.

A new mmWave imaging system allows warehouse robots to scan and create 3D models of objects inside sealed containers, potentially revolutionizing shipping processes.

Family fraud endangers seniors when relatives exploit their trust, but removing personal data online and monitoring identity can prevent financial harm to aging parents.

A study analyzing 500,000 customer service interactions shows chatbots struggle with complex issues while human agents excel at matching customer communication styles.

Aigen's Element robot uses solar power and AI to provide farmers with a sustainable alternative to herbicides, working efficiently in cotton and soy fields.

Helping Your Child Cope With A Long-Term Illness

Parenting