The Invisible Cost Of Caring For A Child With A Health Condition

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images Caregivers need support for their own mental health. Caregiving is an isolating experience for parents Taylor T., who asked that HuffPost withhold her last name for privacy reasons, has a daughter who was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 20 months old and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment.. “So many people say, ‘What are you doing for yourself?’ which is a nice sentiment, but it just further divides me and those people,” Taylor said. Many of those people, whom I have never actually met in real life, have given me strength and courage and made me feel less alone.” “It’s often hard for me to ask for help,” continued Foos, “but I do my best also to stay connected with other parents of children with developmental disabilities, as there is an understanding there that transcends words.” Brittany Magnus, whose 3-year-old son has the same cancer diagnosis as Taylor’s daughter, and who also has a 7-year-old son with Crohn’s disease, told HuffPost that she sees a therapist and takes medication for anxiety “to get through the days,” as well as receiving essential support from fellow “cancer moms.” A social media group organized by another mom has proven invaluable to Magnus. Lauren Schneider, a psychologist at Stanford and lead author of the study, told HuffPost that the parents who met the cutoff for PTSD “are likely experiencing distressing traumatic stress symptoms.” Schneider said the study identifies “a need for increased mental health screening for pediatric patients and their parents within medical clinics.” She hopes that the results of the study encourage parents to seek treatment if they are struggling. “Parents sometimes feel guilty for struggling,” said Schneider, who hopes that the PTSD study “normalizes the difficulties some parents experience, alleviates their guilt and ultimately encourages them to consider an evaluation and possibly treatment, or at least helps them to initiate a discussion with a provider.” Telling a friend or family member that you need help can also be a good start — even if they don’t totally understand what you’re going through.