Celiac Anxiety
How do I respond to my daughter who has anxiety around the possibility of ingesting gluten?
I was listening to one of the Celiac Straight Talk podcasts the other day and I was struck by this 18 year old girl’s honesty around her struggle with anxiety. She was very transparent as she discussed her journey-making note of medications she tried that didn’t work…her anxiety around sharing food with friends, and anxiety around body image due to her inability to gain weight. Then, at the end of her story, she discusses the non-pharmacological ways she copes with her celiac anxiety. It made me realize that probably all kids and teens with celiac disease have some level of generalized anxiety around food.
When you’re trying to help your child who has a lot of anxiety around gluten exposure, take the time to learn more.
Look at past experiences-is there something that stands out for you that was possibly traumatic for your child? Do they have a history of intense symptoms like vomiting, fatigue, or nausea that has led them to think, “I never want to feel like that again.” Perhaps, they worry about the long term effects of such exposures? Another common feeling for children and teens is guilt-they blame themselves for the gluten exposure and have a hard time letting go of those feelings.
Just Keep Swimming
When you’re first discussing food safety with your children, you’re probably really trying to “hit home” those points and don’t always think to share how normal it can be to have a slip up here and there. A dietician I used to work with said “everyday is monday; everyday is a fresh start,” meaning you can’t get boggled down at the beginning. Furthermore, you have to give yourself grace because you’re taking in a lot of new information at this time. For instance, you’re educating yourself about food labels and what to look for to avoid gluten exposure; you’re focused on avoiding cross contamination, and all the safety measures you have to take into account. If your child gets boggled down, their celiac anxiety can easily sky rocket and that’s going to negatively impact their coping. From the time of diagnosis, the goal is to make this lifestyle change seem possible. It’s not to say, don’t be careful or nonchalant when you’re trying new foods but if a slip up happens-learn from it and keep moving forward!
The Impact of Gluten Exposure
Next, I want to go back to is celiac anxiety in relation to long term consequences of gluten exposure. You want to make sure your child has an accurate understanding of what happens when they “get glutened.” Misconceptions are quick to arise among children when they’re told of the dangers of things so don’t go threatening or reprimanding your child to encourage more compliance with the diet. That’s just going to add to their celiac anxiety! Maintain honesty and let them know that a few gluten exposures once in a while will not have a detrimental effect to their intestine. Even adults who have had celiac all their life accidentally ingest gluten. Depending on what your GI team recommends, it might be helpful to undergo routine blood work to give them some peace of mind that their numbers are still looking good. I’m honestly not sure if GI providers have a preference to how often they like to scope their patients but having some hard evidence of what the small intestine looks like may provide some relief for those individuals who present with anxiety.
After you’ve gained a better understanding of what is triggering the celiac anxiety and possible ways to limit it, you can also consider treatment options. I work with a lot of children who present with anxiety but if I feel it warrants a formal in order to obtain a prescription, I have a great referral source for that.