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Accessibility to Food Allergy-Knowledgeable Behavioral Health Professionals (Survey Results)

2/17/2019

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The food allergy community continues to express a need to focus more on the mental/behavioral health needs of individuals and families managing food allergies. Some may find this path relatively easy to navigate, while others share that they wished they had more support, including access to food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral health professionals. 

To gain a better understanding of these needs, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC recently created a short survey to obtain basic data on the desire for food allergy behavioral health services and gaining access to them. 

Below are the results from a two-question survey titled "Access to Food Allergy-Knowledgeable Behavioral Health Professionals Connected w/Allergy Practices".

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(This survey was circulated on social media and throughout food allergy support groups. At the time this was published, there were 116 participants who had taken the survey).



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Question #1: 
Yes = 70.7%;  Maybe = 22.4%;  No = 6.9%


Question #2: 
Yes = 73.1%;  Maybe = 19.1%;  No = 7.8%

​In addition to answering the two questions, participants were able to leave comments on this topic. Below are many of the responses:
  • Anxiety is such a huge deal when a food allergy diagnosis is first made; having group and individual sessions available would be helpful for quality of life.

  • If we had been referred to someone at initial diagnosis it would have really helped transition into food allergy life and day to day management difficulties.

  • I think it also important knowing that a counselor has experience with food allergies. We saw some regular counselors who I didn’t feel even began to understand the depths of what food allergies do to your life until she saw us for almost a year.

  • Managing multiple severe food allergies and EOE takes a large emotional toll. I believe every allergist’s office should have behavioral Health specialists knowledgeable about FA and chronic medical conditions available for the patient (children) and for their caregivers.

  • Many food allergy parents like myself deal with crushing stress and anxiety and could benefit greatly from the right services. Most allergists diagnose and then families are left to deal with the aftermath basically alone.

  • It would be so beneficial for all allergy practices to have a counselor available who truly knows allergies and is in line with their way of thinking.

  • As of now, we are living day to day with his extreme anxiety. Therefore, I believe this resource is essential for those especially with multiple anaphylactic food allergies, such as my family.

  • Currently families are helped with the medical side but not the social side and kids suffer if their parents can't figure it out on their own. It's a very lonely and stressful place for the parents as well!

  • The psycho/social impact of life with food allergies has been overlooked far too long.

  • We found the registered dietician consultant affiliated with our allergist to be so helpful and it would be amazing to have a counseling/behavioral health professional linked with our allergist office as well.

  • As kids age and those diagnosed at different stages in life, it would be essential to have these services to help navigate the “new normal” for the patient.

  • I think counselling should be offered from first diagnosis and continually offers at each check up.

  • Having a LCSW connected with allergy professionals would have helped our family immensely. I spend so much time in my own counseling sessions discussing my anxieties geared towards food allergies and explaining what food allergies really mean.

  • I also see opportunity for collaboration with permission between the dr and counselor to help parents make proper choices based on the degree of allergies they are dealing with.

  • Someone who can teach proper coping mechanisms and also be knowledgeable on family dynamics with allergy stressors would be super helpful​.

The results of this survey show that more than 70% of the respondents would like access to food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral health professionals. Many also are in favor of the counseling professional and their allergist collaborating in some manner to offer services that positively impact body AND mind.  

Based on these results, it suggests that allergists have an opportunity to differentiate themselves from their peers by offering a holistic approach, which addresses the medical and psychosocial/mental health needs of their food allergic patients. 


​What You Can Do:
  • If you feel having access to or the ability for a referral to food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral health/counseling professionals is important, be sure to let your allergist know. Making them aware of elevated levels of emotions that impact your ability to navigate life with food allergies is crucial to ensuring you are receiving the services you need.
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  • If you're an allergy professional looking to connect with food allergy-knowledgeable clinical behavioral health/counseling professionals, please feel free to visit the Food Allergy Counselor Directory, reach out to the Food Allergy Behavioral Health Association, or connect with Tamara Hubbard, LCPC.

​---
What are your thoughts on these results,
​and the general need for food allergy mental health services? ---
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The Evolution of a Food Allergy Advocate

12/15/2018

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As I was sitting in my unusually warm sunroom on this beautiful December morning, a couple of my fellow food allergy advocate friends were engaged in a conversation via social media that got my mind thinking and my heart feeling. 

The conversation was about filling unmet needs within the food allergy community, with mental health being one of them (a topic I am clearly passionate about). But that got me thinking about the overall evolution of food allergy support, for both the individuals and families, as well as those that serve as advocates. Is there a common path people take to become a food allergy advocate? How does one evolve from a newly diagnosed individual or parent into a food allergy advocate? Here are my thoughts on these questions.

Initial Period - The Self-Care and Foundation Building Phase
When the initial food allergy diagnosis comes your way, it can bring along a variety of overwhelming thoughts, feelings, and questions. You may feel like you can't get information quickly enough! However, during this phase, it's important to pace yourself. Think of this phase as building the foundation of your food allergy house - literally adding blocks of information, support, and resources.
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If we build a house too quickly, or jump to working on the second floor before the foundation is secure, the strength of the house is compromised. Write down the most important facts you feel you need to learn in order to navigate day-to-day. Stay focused on the here and now, or near future - don't jump to five years down the line. Finding reputable resources and support groups are key during this phase, not only to gather evidenced-based information, but also so you can connect with a network that will help you build confidence and resilience.

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This time is about you and your family - setting new routines, gaining increased comfort with the guidelines, and building confidence. It's okay to lean on the more experienced members and advocates within this community - they've been there and understand!
Middle Period - The Confidence Building and Broader Thinking Phase
PicturePhoto Credit: Pixabay (image4you)
Somewhere along the way, maybe without even realizing it, you start to gain confidence in navigating life with food allergies. There's no specific time frame for any of these phases. Rather, people move through them at their own pace based on a variety of factors: how they handle change; their vision of life with food allergies; access to reputable information, resources and support.

It's often during this phase when some in the food allergy community start to shift their thinking from simply helping themselves/their family, to helping a broader community. Maybe they want to help within their local community or school. Perhaps they feel they have a specific expertise or niche they can impact. Or maybe, through navigating food allergies themselves, they identify an unmet need within the community and set out to remedy it. Whatever the platform, the evolution of a food allergy advocate is a process that is amazing to watch.


While food allergy advocates are still walking the walk, managing their own food allergies or parenting a child with them, their food allergy house has reached a stage where they feel that it has the strength to allow them to help others. But remember, they took the time to build a solid foundation first - and it didn't happen overnight!

Late Period - Paving the Way to Pass the Torch Phase
This phase represents the time when you've been in the food allergy community for many years - long enough to see how it's changed over the years. You've seen how the research has impacted and changed food allergy guidelines. You've watched the support networks grow and offer more resources for the community as a whole. You are known as a mentor member of this village! ​
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Photo Credit: Pixabay (johnhain)
Often by this point, if you've chosen to become a food allergy advocate in some way, you've helped people build their own food allergy houses with strong foundations, including your own child or family. You have sage advice to share and because you can remember what it was like when you first received the diagnosis, you're happy to offer it.  You are what inspires others to consider becoming food allergy advocates themselves. Maybe you even decide it's time to step back and pass the torch, as you know you've helped pave the way for new food allergy advocates to use their own voices to impact the community.
             But here is the real message of this post.....                    
WE ARE ALL FOOD ALLERGY ADVOCATES!
.......The parent who teaches their child about their food allergy and how to keep themselves safe is an advocate. 

.......The sibling that helps their brother or sister safely read labels at the grocery store is an advocate. 

.......The child who says "I can't have that because I have a food allergy" is an advocate.

.......The non-food allergic individual who seeks information on how to accommodate someone with a food allergy is an advocate.

The fact that we are all food allergy advocates in some way, whether big or small, means that there will always be a constant source of food allergy education and awareness, and we should all be proud of that. So on the days when living with a food allergy seems too trying, just remember: 
You are making a difference. You too are a food allergy advocate.
Decide what your food allergy journey is - your story - and live it! 
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  • Home
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    • The Food Allergy Counselor, Inc.
    • Founder, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
  • Contact