No one likes to watch a loved one suffer. When facing family illness, it is normal to feel fear and worry. The process of identifying medical symptoms and reaching diagnosis can be incredibly long and complicated. Many people experience anxiety, exhaustion, and confusion as they seek the best care for their child, partner, or other family member. If a loved one is eventually diagnosed with a chronic or serious disease, it can be difficult for all members of the family to cope. Many people, while trying to move toward hope, often find themselves imagining and anticipating worst-case scenarios.
When a child is sick or suffers from a debilitating condition, a family often faces a whole separate set of challenges. Parents may wonder how they will explain a medical condition to their child, and to the child’s teachers and classmates. Many parents feel unprepared to become lifelong caregivers to a child with a chronic condition. It is common for a parent to worry about his or her own life, and equally common for that parent to then feel guilt and shame.
Family illness affects everyone: parents, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and the entire family. You and your ailing loved ones might need help to better understand how and if your lives are changing. While you may feel overwhelmed by your daily responsibilities, sadness, and concerns, with the help of Waterford Counseling and Psychological Services, you can help your family work through the pain of illness.