Page 96 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

Katelyn - Allergies are typically not an easy topic of conversation to bring up around people who think they know what is best for you. Especially when they have taken that role their whole lives—namely family! I wasn’t fortunate enough to have relatives who really understood and cared about my allergies and, thus, I learned to take care of myself. This experience has helped me grow into the young adult that I am and given me the realization that, no matter how difficult any situation is, allergies or not, you can always learn something from it.
Sophia - There will always be people you meet who just won’t get it (even though they really do care about you). My close family happens to be more worried about my allergy than I am sometimes. And I think that is great. If a family member does not take it as seriously as you think they should, tell them how you feel. If you feel unsafe eating at their house, pretending like you don’t is not going to help you and they will never know that they are putting you in serious danger.
What do you think is the best way to educate others about allergies?
Erika - It is important to explain the severity of your allergies and give examples about what will happen
if there is cross-contamination or if you eat something that contains your allergen.
Katelyn - The best way to educate people about allergies is to never stop trying and keep a positive attitude.
Sophia – Instead of making it out to be something scary, which might give people a sense that you’re being paranoid, I usually try to keep calm and tell it like it is. When you keep it simple, and are knowledgeable, people want to listen and understand you.
To wrap it up...
As you may have gathered by reading this chapter, educating others around you about your allergies is pretty important. Telling people what you are allergic to is a good start especially for people with whom you spend a lot of time. It is also useful to explain details such as how to use your auto-injector, how to recognize symptoms of a reaction, and how to read labels.
Generally, it is easiest to explain your allergies soon after you meet people. Be casual about it, use humour, explain the facts, make sure that they understand that they are serious, and show them your auto-injector. People are generally quite interested to learn about what you’re dealing with and how they can help. It’s important to remember that these people may have limited experience and knowledge about food allergies. They may be more than willing to help out once they are given the right information.