Many adolescents with Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) often feel misunderstood. As much as family and friends may attempt to understand the impact of this disease, only patients can really understand what this condition feels like. Encourage your teen to connect with peers with CGD and other types of primary immunodeficiency diseases through the IDF Teen Program.
Having other adolescents to relate to is invaluable in providing support. Not only can it foster supportive friendships, but their involvement with others with primary immunodeficiency diseases can also help them feel that they are neither alone nor different from others. IDF Common Ground is a social networking site designed specifically for adolescents, where they can connect with other young people who understand what it is like to live with a primary immunodeficiency disease: www.idfcommonground.org. IDF Teen Escape weekends, which are held a few times each year in various cities throughout the country, are designed to help teens develop coping skills, promote and nurture friendships and provide educational guidance for those living with primary immunodeficiency disease.
IDF holds biennial National Conferences and Retreats, during which there are programs and presentations for teens with CGD. Teens may not feel they need to attend such programs, but those who do attend have extremely positive experiences.