Stress, Physical Limitations and Duchenne
Clearly, our children carry a very heavy load of Duchenne induced stress. Medical appointments, learning challenges, challenges with peers, explosive behaviors, and more. So much more…
When individuals without Duchenne carry that amount of stress, they often diffuse it with intense physical play or sports. However, if our loved ones with Duchenne tried to relieve stress in the same way, not only would their bodies likely fatigue before diffusing the stress, but the risk of bone fracture and also rhabdomyolysis is quite high in our children with Duchenne.
While there are a few options for managing stress physically when mobility is impaired – such as swimming or zooming around at high speeds in the powerchair – individuals with Duchenne just don’t have easily accessible options to help regulate their emotions
Indeed, one of the most brutal things about Duchenne is that these individuals who endure enormous stressors – and are physiologically more easily stressed than others – have incredibly limited options to release that build up. Unfortunately the stress often stays trapped in their bodies until it finds release through an emotional explosion or a meltdown.
When those unavoidable meltdowns and explosions occur, all that our children with Duchenne can hope for is an adult to understand what’s going on, to show them compassion, and to help guide them back to a manageable level of stress.