Children, teenagers, or young adults, young relatives are present, feel, perceive, see, and hear what their loved one is experiencing. In many cases, they are the first witnesses to the difficulties. It is therefore important to acknowledge their presence and not pretend they aren't there.
NEED TO BE CONSIDERED AND RECOGNIZED IN WHAT HE IS EXPERIENCING
In English, there are three words to refer to the word "illness." These allow for a broader understanding of how young relatives are affected by this life situation.
DISEASE refers to the disease as diagnosed by the doctor. This aspect concerns both the sick person and their doctor.
ILLNESS refers to how illness is experienced and felt. This dimension concerns not only the sick person but also their family and friends who live alongside them.
SICKNESS discusses how illness is viewed in society. Despite progress, mental illness is still subject to strong stigmatization that affects not only the person with the illness, but their entire family, and especially young people.
"Just because a Young Close is discreet doesn't mean he's not involved."
Chaque enfant a le droit de voir ses opinions prises en compte dans les décisions qui concernent sa vie et ses préoccupations.
Article 12 de la Convention Internationale des Droits de l’Enfant