Invisible
Dysautonomia conditions are usually invisible (meaning that you can't actually see what is going on inside). However, the symptoms are very real, your friend has little control over them, and they do happen. Your friend needs your support now more than ever.
You can learn about dysautonomia conditions by reading this site and our brochures. Remember, just like other medical conditions, dysautonomia has various degrees and everyone is impacted differently.
Be supportive
It gets very hard to deal with dysautonomia day in and day out, especially for a young person. Your friend will have good days and bad days. It's very common for people with chronic conditions to have periods where they do well and periods where they are not doing as well.
On their good days they just want to get on with life and enjoy themselves. They will probably have to make some modifications to their activities and do certain things like taking their medicine, drinking a lot of water, eating salty snacks, and paying close attention to their body signals — but they still want to be the person they were before they got their condition.
Don't treat them any differently, but be sensitive to what they are dealing with. Help them resume their lives by supporting them in every way you can.
Stay in touch
Usually, one of the hardest things for young people with severe cases of dysautonomia to deal with is the social isolation they experience. If they are unable to attend school they are suddenly not included in activities. They tend to feel very left out and abandoned. Don't allow that to happen!
Although it may sound like fun to stay home from school… it sure isn't day in and day out! You would get very tired of it, too, and you would miss your friends and classmates. You would miss being active, you would miss being social, and you would get really tired of not feeling well. It is actually very, very hard to deal with on a constant basis.
Call your friend whenever you can. Text them quick "Thinking of You" notes. Keep in touch with them, and keep them in touch with what's going on at school, etc. At first doing this may seem easy for you, but as time goes on it won't be as easy because you may get sidetracked with your own busy social life.
It isn't pleasant to be a young person with an unusual chronic invisible condition like dysautonomia, but with a good friend by their side it will be much easier!
Recommended Materials
Brochure:
Your Friend or Classmate has been Diagnosed with Dysautonomia
Other Pages:
Understanding Dysautonomia
Dating and Dysautonomia
