{"id":24964,"date":"2014-07-31T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=24964"},"modified":"2014-07-28T13:43:05","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T20:43:05","slug":"how-to-help-children-cope-with-a-siblings-chronic-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/how-to-help-children-cope-with-a-siblings-chronic-illness-0731144","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Children Cope with a Sibling’s Chronic Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"enviousWhen a family member is diagnosed with a chronic illness<\/a>, he or she is not the only person who has to deal with the diagnosis<\/a>\u2014the entire family is affected by it. Think of a car: every part has to work properly and in conjunction with the other parts in order to run smoothly, right? Something as simple as a flat tire can cause the entire system to slow down. The family system is like that car. Each member has roles and responsibilities, and when one person has a medical diagnosis, it can throw off the entire system.<\/p>\n

So when a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness, the entire family system<\/a> is affected. Having a child with a chronic illness can be difficult for everyone. Managing schedules and doctor appointments, going to different therapies, and dealing with sudden changes of symptoms can be exhausting for the child with the illness as well as for the parents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But what about the nondiagnosed siblings? How are they affected? Family routines and dynamics can drastically change when a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness. This change can affect the nondiagnosed siblings in different ways. Some normal emotions for nondiagnosed siblings include:<\/p>\n