specific needs of children and elderly left behind as a ... - IOM Moldova

CHAPTER I
fatigue, the body’s adjusting capacities are slowly worn-out, generating
states of de-compensation or even diseases. Specialty literature proves
that there is a direct link between continuous exposure to intense stressful
events and the appearance of organic disorders such as:
Disease of the digestive tract – changes of appetite (anorexia or neurotic
bulimia), dyspeptic disorders, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, ulcerative
colitis and irritable colon;
• Dysfunction of reproductive organs – hormonal and menstrual disorders;
• Bladder pathology–irritability, incontinence, enuresis;
• Central nervous system disorders – mental and emotional problems, fatigue,
anxiety, psychosis, depression, mood disorders, headache, dizziness;
• Respiratory diseases–asthma exacerbations during periods of acute stress;
• Issues related to muscle – painful muscle tension, nervous tics and tremors,
muscle contractions in the trunk, spine, limbs, causing pain or cervical
limbo-sciatic crisis;
• Disorders of heart function–cardiac arrhythmias, angina crisis.
From the interviews held with children left behind as a consequence of
their parents’ migration it was noticed that many of them mentioned the
presence of symptoms listed above and confirmed that these started after
their separation. In many cases children themselves come to the conclusion
that the cause of their disease is conditioned by their parents’ departure.
For example, a 13 year old girl who was left alone, together with
her nine year old sister in the care of a neighbour after both parents went
abroad to work said: “I have a heart condition. I go to the doctor about once
a month with my neighbour. I take medicines when it hurts. It started aching
when my mom left, that is 6 years ago” (III_C_15).
The case of a 15 year old girl who looks after her 11 year old sister is telling
when speaking about serious health problems related to the tense psychoemotional
condition that children go through. At first her mother left and then
their father began to drink, leaving them alone for indefinite periods of time.
These girls’ mother was in a coma for 9 days after being in a car accident and
she is physically disabled. The girl recalled: “My dad was leaving for several
weeks or for months to work, we never knew when he was going to come back,
how long he would stay... When mom called she used to criticize me. I was crying
a lot and my head started aching. Then I feared that my mom would die after she
got into that accident... I had headaches more often but I did not tell anybody. I
was frequently feeling tingling in my heart. Two years later, my left hand started
shaking, and then shortly after the right one. I thought it would pass but when my
right foot started shaking too I got scared and I went to see a doctor in Nisporeni.
I was hospitalized for investigations and underwent a treatment” (III_C_19).
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