{"id":818,"date":"2020-11-04T15:06:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T15:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sheranmemories.com\/?p=818"},"modified":"2025-07-04T19:10:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T19:10:29","slug":"special-needs-moms-face-stress-compared-to-being-in-combat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sheranmemories.com\/index.php\/2020\/11\/04\/special-needs-moms-face-stress-compared-to-being-in-combat\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Needs Moms Face Stress Compared to Being in Combat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With a household full of people during the COVID-19 pandemic, mother of five Leslie Genske rarely gets a moment to herself. In fact, as a mother to ten-year-old daughter Lucy, who has Down syndrome, it has been a long time since she has experienced any length of time \u201coff-duty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am always on Lucy duty,\u201d says Leslie. \u201cIf I take a shower, I have to make sure someone else is in charge and on alert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One afternoon during the pandemic, with others standing guard, Leslie had the rare opportunity to take a nap. Shortly after she layed down, she got a call from her neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs Lucy supposed to be going down the road?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucy had donned her Anna dress from Frozen and was walking down the road opening mailboxes looking for party invitations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily Stress Incidents Are Common Among Special Needs Families<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, most special needs moms have similar stories. Added stressors of parenting a child with special needs, such as always having to be on high alert, undermines the long-term mental and physical health of parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a study Mental health and wellbeing in midlife parents of Children with Special Needs<\/em> by Amy M. Smith and Joseph G. Grzywacz, parents of children with special needs report poorer self-rated mental health, greater depression symptoms, and more restrictions in instrumental activities of daily living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is often difficult to find support in the community. A lot of people are not certain how to help or feel uneasy around our kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0\u201cMy family wants to support me, but I don\u2019t think they know how,\u201d remarked Leslie. \u201cWhen Lucy was three and acting goofy, it was cute. At ten, it is not cute anymore. I have noticed that at family gatherings, others think she is a nuisance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leslie shared she has lost friends since having Lucy, mostly because they didn\u2019t know what to do, and they were worried about different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I once had a neighbor call the cops because Joey had escaped the house and came to her door. He could be a runner when he was little, and we had to keep the house on lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

At-Risk for Long-term Stress Exposure<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Common Stressors of Special Needs Parents<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

According to the study by Amy Smith and Joseph Grzywacz, long-term exposure to stress leads to poor physical and mental health, and is two times the level of typical parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t focus,\u201d says Lisa. \u201cIt has become harder to manage and focus. For so many years, I have had to be so vigilant and make everything a therapy session or teaching moment. My brain never stops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can relate to brain fog. For me, stress shows up in my body in the form of hunger and sugar cravings. I have gained a lot of weight during this added pandemic stress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n