Weekly Healthy Advice From Växa
Coping with the stress of autism
If you have children, you have stress. From the stresses of running to doctor’s appointments and activities
to the stresses of putting healthy meals on the table, taking care of children can be a series of challenges.
For families with a child on the autism spectrum, those everyday stresses can be the least of their concerns.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and
affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of
behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is
no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.
A February 2007 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that the prevalence of
autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys. This report caused a media
uproar, but the news was not a surprise to the 1.5 million Americans living with the effects of autism
spectrum disorder.
Parents of children on the autism spectrum also say the commonly touted statistic that about 80 percent of
all marriages of parents with a child with autism end in divorce is also no surprise to them. The financial,
physical and emotional strain on the families dealing with this common condition can make the typical marital
tensions look like child’s play.
What can parents do?
Like all parents, parents of children with autism need to find a way to balance their own needs against
the demands of parenting and caretaking. While autism may not take a day off, parents need to find a way
to do just that, whether it’s through the help of their spouse, the child’s grandparents, friends or even
respite care.
The Autism Society of America (ASA) urges parents to reward themselves for their hard work – even if that
reward only means taking a moment to put on your favorite lotion, or cooking your family a meal that you enjoy.
It’s also important for family members to reward one another. Spouses need to acknowledge the hard work that
each is achieving. Siblings should be thanked for watching or helping out their brothers and sisters. It is
also important that spouses try to spend some time alone. Again, the quantity of time is not as important as
the quality. This may include watching television together when the children are asleep, going out to dinner,
or meeting for lunch when the children are in school. When your time is limited, remember that something is
always better than nothing.
The ASA suggests that when it comes to reducing stress, be creative. Parents may want to consider one or more
of the following approaches:
- Prayer
- Exercise / yoga
- Deep breathing / relaxation exercises / meditation
- Writing in a journal
- Keeping a daily schedule of things to accomplish
- Joining others in advocacy efforts at the local, state or federal level
- Individual, marital or family counseling
Supplements can help
Many families with children on the autism spectrum are willing to try biomedical approaches to improve
the health of their children. It is worth noting that the same approach can help lessen the stress of
the family members.
When stress is the major concern, parents should try Växa Extress to replenish essential nutrients
burned up by the body during times of stress. Extress has been clinically proven to diminish emotional
sensitivity and mood swings, help calm and focus attention, help relax muscles safely and help reduce
the possibility of stress-induced head pain and muscle aches.
To help level out the depression that often comes with stress, try Växa Deprex.
Deprex helps elevate mood by raising circulating serotonin levels and assuring proper utilization and
restores the appropriate production of the mood-elevating hormones, serotonin and norepinephrine. It
also restores clear thinking while calming and curbing oversensitivity.
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