Stress is a familiar concept to everyone, and everyone experiences it in their own way in daily life. Some stressors lead to frustration and failure in people, factors that take time to cope with and even for some people time will not solve the problem, such as; The death of loved ones, unpredictable events, the existence of an incurable disease in the person and having a person with a problem such as autism. But the same stress can easily overcome these problems if the person has self-awareness.
Physical and physical effects of stress
About 2% of people's physical problems are rooted in stress and mental disorders. The stresses and strains that people experience in their lives can lead to problems in their heart and digestive system, skin and immune system. These include stomach ulcers and stomach cancer, which have a lot to do with the amount of stress in a person's life.
Psychological effects of stress
A person with stress will not be able to think and solve problems. Increased stress leads to isolation in the person and the person is also exposed to depression and anxiety. People who are stressed often have difficulty concentrating and in many cases even become distracted from their normal daily activities. In addition to the psychological effects of stress, people often experience behavioral problems and changes in the normal course of their lives, such as insomnia or oversleeping, work problems and relationships with others such as spouse, academic problems. Most parents of children with autism are stressed. Because parents of children with autism experience a lot of stress in caring for and educating their children, managing and treating this stress is essential and important for them. They devote all their energy and energy to caring for and educating an autistic child, regardless of whether the autistic child needs parental comfort and the anxious mother or father transmits his or her anxiety to the autistic child without being aware of it.
The first step in reducing stress is to be aware of the amount of stress and pay attention to the effects of stress in daily life. Awareness of mental and physical conditions plays an important role in diagnosing a person's stress level. Examining the symptoms of physical condition that is present during times of stress or stressful conditions; Headache, restlessness and confusion, stomach pain, lack of concentration, feeling tired, and awareness and attention to these symptoms lead to the prevention of heart and gastrointestinal disorders in the person and in addition the mother and father of the child learn autism that is able to health She will take care of her child and in peace she can reduce her child's stubbornness and aggression.
Some of the stresses of parents of children with autism become so habitual that they become anxious and stubborn at the same time as their child is anxious and stubborn. Stressful habits can be controlled with a little prudence. One way to change this habit is to drink a cool drink in times of stress and try to be alone for a few minutes in a calm environment and use the relaxation method of counting 2-3 and slowly take deep breaths. This exercise for at least ten minutes a day has a tremendous effect on reducing stress and controlling and managing your anger. And after a while it becomes a behavioral habit and you do this exercise automatically in times of stress.
How to manage stress
Some of the stressors in the life of parents of children with autism are lack of time and opportunity to do daily and personal work. The best way is to prioritize your life plans. Make a list of the things you do most that stress you the most, and prioritize based on how important you are. You can get rid of irrational thoughts to make you feel calm. Do not force yourself to do things and keep in mind that some things can be assigned to later days based on priority. One of the most important activities that you can do in your work schedule is to make a list of the tasks and activities that you enjoy doing and incorporate them into your daily routine.
Most parents with children with autism experience limited social relationships and are unable to attend places and parties due to their child's behavioral problems. And their presence leads to stress in them. The development of social relationships and conversations with calm people and people who experience less stress in life or people who are able to understand your problem play an important role in reducing depression in parents.
Have a strong social network
Caring for children with any type of chronic illness is very difficult and causes many emotional problems for parents. Caring for children with autism is very stressful and difficult due to the lack of social communication required and the difficulty of communicating between the child and parents. Given the quality of services available in your area, make sure your child receives the support and care he or she needs, and you should be aware of the quality of these services to reduce your stress; That's why you need strong social support for yourself and your child.
Supports that can help you with this include:
1. Emotional support
A close friend or family member you trust and can share your feelings and needs with can be your supporter.
2. Social mite:
Your friend or colleague who enjoys being with you and you can trust him or her and help you in times of frustration.
3. Information sponsors:
Your child's doctor, counselor, teachers, therapists or caregivers with whom you can consult for important advice and decisions about your treatment.
4. Support when a problem arises:
A neighbor or friend you can ask for help when you have a problem.
5. Other support includes support you can get from other parents with children with autism.
In these cases, you can use the experiences of others about autism and ways to adapt to the disease. If there are associations for these diseases, connecting with others and using their experiences can help you. The more you learn about autism and the more social support you receive, the more confident and confident you will be in fighting the disease, and the less stress you will have.
Tell your family about autism.
Many mothers of children with autism may be isolated. Many mothers are separated from their families when their child is diagnosed with autism and do not attend family celebrations and parties, and feel ashamed to ask for help in caring for their child. Many parents and other family members experience stress, loneliness, lack of support, and sometimes even anger in the face of these children's problems. You need to know that these feelings are normal and you can help other family members with autism and the special needs of children with the disorder to help them deal with these feelings. Increasing the knowledge of other family members about autism and how it is managed in the family can reduce stress and strain on the family and improve the functioning of the child with autism.
