Baby Journal 6

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Parenting is one of the most enjoyable jobs but can be very challenging, especially when you have a child with mental disorders or any other abnormality. My baby Harmony was diagnosed with post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) at the age of 15 years after being involved in a tragic boat accident. The accident happened when we were going to celebrate her fifteen birthday in Santa Catalina, California. Fortunately, there was no casualty, but the event was tragic since it was her first time travelling in a boat. From then, she started having difficulty in sleeping, constant scary thoughts and screaming at night. During the day, she appeared so withdrawn and was mood less most times. Her behavior was much of a concern to us and everybody around her since she could not concentrate fully in class. To help her, I tried different therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and medicines prescribed by the physician. I also initiate a play to make her lively, but the journey has been harrowing.

Harmony BMI is below the 22th percentile, the normal or healthy BMI for children and teens. This condition has significantly affected her eating habits, and she is no longer interested in feeding as before. Due to stress, she cannot eat her food well, which could be why she has an unhealthy BMI (Robinson, 2017).

Despite Harmony having challenging development milestones after the boat accident, my husband and I try our level best to teach her good morals. We have taught her how to respect us as parents, advised her not to hurt anyone, be honest, and respect other people’s religions and differences. My happiness is to see Harmony having the proper morals that can enable her to interact with other people comfortably. My girl’s behavior has been improving each day because she takes instructions with ease, a sign that she hid our advice, and she is no longer much nagging as before.

My girl likes drawing cartoons and watching cartoon movies. Harmony likes animation and would spend much of her time watching cartoon movies. Her socialization has been significantly affected by the PTSD condition because she doesn’t have many friends as before. Her culture has been affected by her mental condition because she had more friends, liked socializing with peers, and was generally cheerful. So, most time, she is isolated and lonely, especially when I am not around.

Harmony is an African American because her father has African roots. The fact that she is somehow different from most of her peers is a challenge because sometimes she experiences bullying. Racism in the United States has been a significant social issue. People from other races can testify their experiences on bullying; with her condition, life has not been that easy for her. However, I try to strengthen my girl to avoid the consequences of bullying that can worsen her condition.

Some of her stressors include bullying, changing schools, and having negative thoughts about herself. People with PTSD have scary thoughts all the time, and being a victim is stressful (Maggioni et al., 2016). Bullying is very stressful because overcoming the negative comments of haters is not easy since it lowers your self–esteem. I usually avoid putting my girl under any pressure so that she can relax and feel appreciated. I provide nutritious foods and ensure she gets plenty of rest. Our advice and support have changed her way of life, and she copes with stressors with ease.

References

Robinson, J. (2017). Separation from the baby—a cause of PTSD?. British Journal of Midwifery, 10(9), 548-548.

Maggioni, C., Margola, D., & Filippi, F. (2016). PTSD, risk factors, and expectations among women having a baby: A two-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 27(2), 81-90.