Managing Your Emotions
"I take one step at a time when I deal with difficult situations."
Parents of children with special health care needs say they often experience strong emotions about their child's situation and the impact it has on everyone in the family. In the Building on Family Strengths Project, parents told us they experienced some of the following feelings: fear, sadness, isolation, anger, or exhaustion.
Strategies to manage your emotions
Parents also told us that they found it helpful to be around other parents who expressed similar emotions. It gave them a sense of companionship and empathy. Parents found some of the following strategies helped them deal with the emotional impact of having a child with special health care needs:
- Shift your perspective - look at the positives, keep your sense of humor, look at the progress that has been made, give yourself permission to not be perfect, engage in positive self-talk
- Be prepared - anticipate what might happen and make a plan, have all the information, read about the issues, have back up plans, ask for help, become the expert on your child by knowing their needs and how to best meet those needs
- Be a part of a community - join support groups or internet forums, talk to people in the same or similar situations, talk to others about your feelings, surround yourself with positive, nurturing people
- Become an advocate - take an active role in fundraising, education, research or legislative groups, explain your situation to educate others, balance diplomacy and demands, ask to speak to a supervisor or ombudsman to assist you with a problem
- Take care of yourself - exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep, laugh or do something fun, use distractions such as watching a movie, listening to your favorite songs, reading a book, or taking some time away from the issue, see a therapist or counselor
Reflect and act
It may help you to reflect on the specific feelings and emotions you are experiencing as a result of your child having special health care needs. Below is a document to help you come up with your own strategies to try out when experiencing strong emotions.