Today’s blog has been graciously penned by Elika Komeili, founder of the Center for Healthy and Happy Living in Los Angeles, CA. They offer life coaching and therapy. Elika has extensive background in food therapy and has specific experience in food allergies and dietary restrictions. I asked her to guest blog to discuss when is it time to reach out farther for more support and guidance. From experience, I understand families managing life threatening chronic illness can have a heavy impact on the happiness of a family. I hope you enjoy www.centerforhealthyandhappyliving.comblog post! 
From Elika Komeili….
When to see a therapist or life-coach if you have food allergies: food allergies, anxiety, depression, and loneliness
According to a study, presented at the 2011 Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Meeting by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), children with food allergies suffer from anxiety, depression and loneliness more than other kids. According to says Prof. Maria Antonella Muraro, Chair of the EAACI Meeting “about 17 percent of allergic children, regardless of their age, never go to a party or a picnic with friends, while 24 percent are forced to bring along something to eat”. The professor also stated that “5 to 15 per cent of cases of anaphylactic shock can be triggered by physical activity following the consumption of small amounts of allergenic food that would otherwise be harmless, so one allergic child out of ten also stops every kind of exercise.
Signs of depression
• Your child is irritable and/or appears sad
• Your child is less interested in activities that she/he once enjoyed (children may report being “bored”)
• Difficulty concentrating at school
• Physical complaints (stomachaches, headaches, body aches)
• Changes in sleep (not being able to fall asleep or sleeping too much)
• Significant change in weight or appetite (eating much more than usual or having no appetite)
• Conflict with peers and family members
• Thoughts of death and dying
Signs of anxiety
• Frequent worried thoughts (intrusive and hard to get rid of)
• Needing to be reassured that everything will be okay and about safety
• Stress and anxiety shows up in the body as increased heart beat, nausea, thinking that she or he will die
• Fear of being away from parents (child cries when away from parents, clings on to parent)
• Refusal to go to school or goes to the nurse a lot
• Has nightmares or worries about previous anaphylaxis episode
Ways you can help your child
Learn to manage your own stress and anxiety (food allergy related or not). Learn to meditate, take a few deep breathes, journal, go for walks, talk to a therapist.
Reassure and listen to your child. Recognize your own challenges-if it’s tough to reassure your child when you are struggling with your own anxiety, then work with a professional who can provide you with support so that you can be there for your child.
As a general rule, if food allergies are interfering with daily activities or quality of life, it’s time to seek support from a professional therapist or counselor to learn skills to manage anxiety and cope effectively with a restricted diet. Not all therapist and coaches are the same, we all have different training and perspectives and not all are familiar with food allergies. While, I only practice as a licensed therapist in the state of California, I offer life- coaching (which is similar) nationwide via phone.
Feel free to visit my website for more info www.centerforhealthyandhappyliving.com or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/centerforhealthyandhappyliving).
You and your child don’t have to go through it alone. Let me know how I can help. Call to schedule your consultation today, mention the Grateful Foodie and get 40% OFF.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..