 No two individuals with cerebral palsy are exactly alike. Each of their brains has been affected in its own way. The challenges they and their caregivers face on a day-to-day basis will vary considerably. However, it is important to remember that these individuals have the same emotions as other people.
If the disability is not so severe that the child needs help in school, the other children in the classroom need to be made aware of and educated about the child’s condition. School age children can be cruel and can be very quick to exclude someone they perceive as different. If the other kids can better understand things from the disabled child’s point of view, their actions are less likely to be hurtful.
In any setting, conditions such as drooling and lack of bladder or bowel control can cause embarrassment and feelings of inadequacy.
An individual with cerebral palsy might face predicaments that are quite troublesome.
- The sense of being different
- Frustrations over having poor body control
- Being unable to communicate your thoughts and needs
- Having age appropriate sexual urges, but without the opportunity to act on those desires
- Being unable to feed oneself;
It is important for children with any debilitating condition to develop a healthy attitude toward themselves. It is important that children with cerebral palsy have access to a counselor (someone other than a parent or primary care giver). They can speak freely about what's troubling them and get the guidance and emotional tools they need to get and keep a healthy self-image. A healthy attitude can be hard to maintain. It is not at all uncommon for individuals with cerebral palsy to experience depression.
The following are possible signs of depression. For those with cerebral palsy, some of these signs are more difficult to detect.
- Change in personality, such as increased anger, irritability, moodiness, or whining
- Change in appetite (usually a loss of appetite)
- Change in sleep patterns, such as excessive sleeping, difficulty in falling asleep, or difficulty in staying asleep
- Loss of energy
- Loss of interest in friends, play, activities, and sports. An absence of pleasure derived from relationships
- Low self-esteem, frequently expressed through self-deprecating and negative talk
- Indecisiveness
- Difficulty with concentration (not to be confused with attention deficit disorder)
- Feelings of helplessness, occasionally expressed through suicidal talk
Any child or young adult can suffer depression, but the extra difficulties that a child with cerebral palsy faces can increase the likelihood of developing depression.
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