A life threatening illness forces a child to realize that their own body can work against them. While adults have come to realize this as a fact of life, children have not often experienced this.

This page includes resources that tell you how to interact with a child who is faced with a life-threatening illness, along with signs and symptoms that a child is traumatized by their illness. We've also included service providers who can offer extra help to a child during this difficult time.

Home | Individual: Life Threatening Illness

Any traumatic event is difficult to endure, however, those events that personally touch our lives are the most challenging. The emotional effects of a watching someone you love suffer a life threatening illness or tragedy is profound. Illnesses, such as AIDS, cancer or other debilitating maladies impose an emotional toll that is difficult, and sometimes nearly impossible to recover from without professional intervention

	Signs & Symptoms

• Being preoccupied with the traumatic event
• Sleeplessness, nightmares
• Experiencing intense survivor guilt
• Feeling numb or detached
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Feeling helpless or "out of control"
• Inability to get along with others, particularly in close relationships
• Paranoia and distrust
• Unwillingness to discuss or revisit in any way the site of the trauma
• Persistent, intense fear and anxiety
• Feeling easily irritated or agitated
• No longer finding pleasure in previously enjoyable activities
• Physical symptoms such as headache, gastrointestinal distress, or dizziness
• Suicidal thoughts, plans, or gestures