close

How do sibling relationships change after a spinal cord injury? - Nancy Rosenberg, PsyD

How do sibling relationships change after a spinal cord injury?

Nancy Rosenberg, PsyD

Psychology Clinical Specialist and Director, Peer Mentor Programs, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia

Read Bio More Videos by Nancy Rosenberg
Transcript
In terms of sibling relationships with folks that are injured, I think that when we have young adults or adolescents who are injured, their siblings tend to be young.  And they were close, and they, for the most part, they lived together in most... Show More

In terms of sibling relationships with folks that are injured, I think that when we have young adults or adolescents who are injured, their siblings tend to be young.  And they were close, and they, for the most part, they lived together in most cases, and they bonded together, they were kind of a team in the household.  It was like the sibling team against mom and dad.  And so, there’s a real emotional bonding that happened.  And then, when that young person gets injured, the siblings have a terrible time with it often.   I have noticed in terms of missing that sibling being home, there are a lot of feelings of loss and anxiety.  And then once that person comes home, they realize, “That still is my sister,” or “That still is my brother; he’s still the cool guy I knew before.”  They start to get more comfortable with it.  When folks are older and they’re injured, and perhaps they’re married or their 40’s, their siblings often rally around them in order to help.  Sometimes the parents are older or not even alive any more, so the siblings have to take on a good deal of the responsibility of figuring out the discharge plan and what comes next.  

Show Less
add

How do sibling relationships change after a spinal cord injury?

Nancy Rosenberg, PsyD

Psychology Clinical Specialist and Director, Peer Mentor Programs, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia

More Videos by Nancy Rosenberg
Transcriptadd

In terms of sibling relationships with folks that are injured, I think that when we have young adults or adolescents who are injured, their siblings tend to be young.  And they were close, and they, for the most part, they lived together in most cases, and they bonded together, they were kind of a team in the household.  It was like the sibling team against mom and dad.  And so, there’s a real emotional bonding that happened.  And then, when that young person gets injured, the siblings have a terrible time with it often.   I have noticed in terms of missing that sibling being home, there are a lot of feelings of loss and anxiety.  And then once that person comes home, they realize, “That still is my sister,” or “That still is my brother; he’s still the cool guy I knew before.”  They start to get more comfortable with it.  When folks are older and they’re injured, and perhaps they’re married or their 40’s, their siblings often rally around them in order to help.  Sometimes the parents are older or not even alive any more, so the siblings have to take on a good deal of the responsibility of figuring out the discharge plan and what comes next.  

How do sibling relationships change after a spinal cord injury?
close