Illness & Disability

Home Illness & Disability Living with an illness or disability Dealing as a family

Dealing as a family

Learning that you have a chronic illness or disability can be stressful for your family because they are worried about you. There are lots of new emotions – some of them could be anger, confusion or sadness. Life will change for your family. The focus will seem to be mostly on your health needs, even if that doesn’t feel good to you. All of these things are normal, but it isn’t easy. Give your family and yourself time to get used to these changes and get into a new groove.

If you were born with your illness or disability, your family has had time to adjust. If can still be stressful, though, and there are still things you can do to help your family deal.

Two important things you can do to help your family out:

1. Talk it over. Talk with your family about your needs and worries. Tell them how your body is feeling and talk about what scares you. It is also important to talk about what your responsibilities will be. For example, find out what chores you can do around the house. At the same time, talk about the help you need each day. For example, do you need help carrying books home after school?
2. Get involved. You can play an active role in your care in different ways. One way is by helping your parents keep track of your medicines or make doctor’s appointments. Find out more about what you can do to get involved!

Content last updated June 2, 2007

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