"...any medical education is psychological" - Donald woods, Psychotherapist, British pediatrician and child psychoanalyst.
Perhaps there are no such parents who would not want their children to be healthy. Health is a combination of many factors: genetic predisposition, lifestyle, eating habits, interaction with the environment. How to claim medical and psychological science to preserve human health, it is important to be in harmony with oneself and the surrounding world. The disease occurs in case of violation of mental and physical balance. Health affects the psychological state of a person and Vice versa.
Probably to have perfect health is impossible. There is hardly any such children who never get sick. Adult find explanations for children's diseases: infectious environment which can get the child a weak immune system, hypothermia, poor nutrition, etc.
When a child is sick, most mothers and fathers first turn to medicine: consult with pediatricians, follow their instructions, get medicines according to the prescription. Medical treatment is doing its job, and the children recover. Of course they can get sick again after some time, and then to help come back medicine and save from the disease.
But not in all cases that's what happens. It happens that children get sick very often. Barely recovered from the disease, they get sick again. Manifestations of the disease can be very diverse. This banal cold, which may not take place for months, or begin again and again, and frequent sudden onset of fever, nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions, headaches and more. Some of the pediatricians, suggesting that certain symptoms observed in children, may be "nerves", I suggest the parents to consult a pediatric neurologist. Neurologists deal with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with the Central and peripheral nervous system. But when he and the neurologist threw up his hands helplessly, the parents may see the need to go to a child psychologist or psychotherapist.
In his book "On the side of the child" Francoise Dolto (French psychoanalyst and pediatrician) writes: "...people also have the right and a disease...a Disease is a way to Express something. When a person cannot Express it with words, feelings, then takes the word disease." In fact, it is difficult to Express in words their desires and unwillingness, needs, to make claims. It is difficult to understand and admit their "bad" feelings, to say about their closest people.
There are many factors that can degrade the physical and psychological well-being of the child and lead to frequent illness:
adaptation to the new environment (kindergarten, school, moving);
- frequent conflicts between parents, divorce
- separation from loved ones, loss;
- high requirements and expectations from adults;
- the emergence of new children in the family
Caught in such situations, children experience different feelings: fear, anger, guilt, shame, jealousy, sadness and others. These unspoken words and feelings stay inside and can manifest itself in the form of the disease.
How can help in such cases, the psychotherapist family?
- to listen to the "history" of the child from the parents, their doubts and anxiety associated with it.
- to Provide the conditions through play, drawing, sculpting and other children's activities to understand and "Express" their wishes and feelings and help to put them into words.
to Help parents understand what may wants, but can't tell their child.
D. V., Psychotherapist, in his article "Small children and their mother" wrote: "I like to use the words "good enough." Children fit enough good parents, and good enough is you and me." We all, as a sufficiently good parent, able to love and care for their children, can provide them not only physical but also psychological well-being.
cheers!