Your Identity,
Your Child’s
Identity A
s a therapist, I often talk to my clients about how they view themselves, their identity. This topic often leads to more discussion of a related topic, selfesteem. Identity, as well as self-esteem, can be big issues for those living with bleeding disorders, as well as their parents. Let’s start with a definition of both of these terms. Your identity is basically who you think you are, how you define yourself or, in therapy terms, how you perceive yourself. As you can imagine, how you self-identify has a big impact on how you feel emotionally and how you relate to other people. And as you have most likely experienced, identity as a person with a bleeding disorder can come down to a struggle between identifying as “normal” and identifying as a “patient.” Now for a quick definition of self-esteem. Self-esteem basically comes down to the value you place on yourself. As such, your self-esteem also has a whole lot to do with how you feel and how you interact with others. Self-esteem is an issue for those with bleeding disorders. The development of both identity and self-esteem begins during childhood. Yet another reason why a child living with a bleeding disorder might find themselves especially challenged as they forge their self-identity, well into adulthood. To get the conversation started, I will give you a couple of examples from my own work.
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LIFELINES for HEALTH
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Spring/Summer 2019