Family and Friends
You may not be the only one who feels emotional about your illness. Parents often struggle with seeing their children sick because they want to prevent anything bad from happening to their kids. They feel guilty or think they've failed you, others may get mad about how unfair it seems. Everyone else's emotions can seem like an extra burden to you, when of course it's not your fault. Sometimes it helps to explain that when you express anger or fear, you're just need them to support you — not for them to cure you. Tell your parents you don't expect them to have all the answers, but that it helps if they just listen to how you feel and let you know they understand.
Sometimes if your parents need to spend a lot of time taking you to doctors and supporting you, your siblings may feel jealous of the attention. Remember this is not your fault (you need your parents support) but there are some things you can do to help. Try including your siblings as much as you can and encouraging family activities.
It can be hard to feel different around friends and classmates. Many of us may be tempted to try to keep our condition secret. Sometimes, though, trying to hide a condition can cause its own troubles. It's best to just be honest and explain your illness to your friends. You may be surprised by how supporting a real friend can be and how good it can feel to have someone to talk to. If you can't do some of the things you used to do or go out as much, try inviting your friends over for a movie night or doing easy things like have a picnic at your local park.
