In the journey of parenting, especially as a cardiologist with a neurodivergent child, I've found a unique intersection between my professional understanding of stress and my personal experiences of trying to manage meltdowns. These challenging moments require a difficult-to-achieve balance of mental resilience, emotional empathy, and awareness of our physiological responses to stress. It’s about employing both logic and compassion in equal measure to navigate through the stormy waters of parenting crises, ensuring that we remain calm, understanding, and supportive in the face of dysregulated emotions in our children.
Our bodies react to stress by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), initiating a series of physiological responses designed for our survival. The reaction includes a surge in cortisol and adrenaline levels, preparing us for a fight-or-flight response. While these mechanisms are essential for acute stress situations, they can become overwhelming during a child’s meltdown, affecting both the caregiver and the child significantly.
The HPA axis regulates stress reactions, while the ANS manages our body’s unconscious actions, balancing the sympathetic and........