The tween and teen years are a time generally marked by greater independence and responsibility in each adolescent’s life. By the time your child has reached middle school, he or she should be accustomed to carrying their own epinephrine. They should know how to read labels independently, be able to recognize symptoms of an allergic reaction, and know how to administer their epinephrine.
While your child is becoming more independent and increasingly more responsible for managing their own food allergy, this time, just like many of the other stages of development, comes with its own set of challenges.
Severe and even fatal allergic reactions are more common among adolescents and young adults. Pressure to fit in and a sense of invincibility that teenagers commonly exhibit contribute to risk-taking behaviors in regards to managing their food allergies. It is not uncommon for adolescents and young adults to not always carry their epinephrine. They may even intentionally eat food that may not be safe.
One of the things I learned from working in medical social work is that it takes a team to manage serious health conditions. It’s no different with food allergies. A food allergy diagnosis is life-changing. It may be very overwhelming to navigate in the beginning. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to feel anxiety, grief, depression, or even isolation when they are faced with food allergies. In addition, there is so much to learn and do to stay safe. And to top it off, many people who don’t deal with food allergies everyday do not understand what it takes to manage them successfully. This diagnosis is a lot to take on by yourself, which is why it is so important to surround yourself with a team of support.
