Family Strife and Childhood Asthma
Children with asthma may suffer not only due to direct physiological reasons but also as a result of emotional distress caused by adverse family circumstances. For instance, in one case, ten-year-old Leslie experienced asthma attacks precisely when she felt she was not receiving enough attention in her family. As described in the situation, Leslie felt “unremarkable” because her family had “special” brothers and sisters, and consequently, she deliberately provoked asthma attacks to gain attention and affirm her individuality. When her parents recognized this pattern, they changed their approach—allowing her to participate in family matters—which led to a reduction in her attacks. (Source: link txt)Furthermore, an unfavorable family atmosphere, characterized by constant quarrels, conflicts, and divorces, can exert an even more negative influence. In another case, a nine-year-old girl is mentioned whose development of bronchial asthma—unrelated to allergies or infections—was directly triggered by a neurotic conflict within the family. Frequent parental quarrels and divorce became the “cry from the soul” of the child, resulting in a neurogenic variant of asthma. (Source: link txt)Thus, childhood asthma can worsen when a child experiences emotional instability and tension at home. Situations where the child feels neglected, or when the home atmosphere is laden with conflicts, contribute to more frequent and intense asthma symptoms.Supporting citation(s):"Ten-year-old Leslie suffered from asthma, and when her mother asked her to do something around the house, she often had attacks... Leslie did not feel her 'specialness,' or, in other words, she did not have her own place in the family. When her mother realized that Leslie deliberately triggered asthma attacks in order to be noticed and feel her 'specialness,' she applied methods to reorient her negative behavior, that is, she began to react to these attacks in a completely different way. She provided an opportunity for Leslie to stand out by allowing her to plan the menu, cook, and feed the entire family. As a result, the mother's efforts were not in vain; the asthma attacks decreased significantly." (source: link txt)"A grandmother came in regarding her nine-year-old granddaughter. Her parents frequently quarreled, argued, and eventually divorced; the father left the family. Against this backdrop, the child developed bronchial asthma, and neither allergies nor changes in the bronchopulmonary tissue were detected, nor was there any evidence of frequent colds. It turned out that the girl had a neurogenic variant of asthma; the cause of the asthmatic attacks was a nervous conflict. This disease is the cry of a child's soul." (source: link txt)