Summer 2001 ~ Newsletter
Pain Management
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Dear Kim...
by Kim Dutton Brindley, M. Ed.
Q: I think my child is in pain...how can I get him or her to admit it?
This is a difficult task, as there may be several reasons your child may not want to admit feeling pain.
A few potential reasons may include fear, denial, anger, embarrassment, guilt, or sadness. A child may believe that if he or she admits this pain, then a consequence may occur (hospitalization, more treatment intervention, parents becoming more emotional, not being able to participate in social events such as sports or school activities, etc.)
Parents can help their child express feelings of pain by providing ongoing support and assurance to the child. Continue to show them ongoing unconditional love...no matter what they do or say...you love them. Take opportunities to talk about pain by using examples as they come up in life, examples of friends, others with CF, characters on TV, etc. You can ask them if there is a time they are ever in pain, and what would they like you to do to help them cope with this pain.
If you and the medical team are certain they are in pain, and they will not talk with you about it, give them ideas about others they can talk to about pain (friends, family, counselors, etc.) Some people may constantly complain of pain but for the most part others may get used to the pain until it gets worse. It is always helpful to learn how your child deals with pain to help them when they really need it.