How being estranged from our grandchildren impacts on our health.

I am so upset and sad .Maybe the comments are from GNs who have not known the heartbreak of Denied Contact with grandchildren.
The letter to GP is not asking for solutions but giving information and drawing attention to the plight of grandparents denied contact- to raise awareness in GPs that some of their patients may be experiencing this and being affected mentally and physically.

The letter was drafted with the approval and cooperation of a GP.
My own GP expressed appreciation when I gave her copies on a visit this week (persistent sore throat).
She has been sympathetic and supportive for over 3 years but not all GPs are so well informed.

GPs are often consulted when a parent applies to Family Court.My son’s application in Nov 2011 was affected negatively by a letter to CAHMS from a young GP who quoted statements about him from the mother..Some of these were false allegations. He was unaware of these before the court and given no chance to refute them.-contact was refused!
When he later complained to the surgery he was told that the doctor ( a trainee GP) had left the practice,that she should have added the word ‘alleged’ and he was given a grudging apology !!

I shall be 84 next month.Have been denied all contact with my grandson for 4 years –after 10 years of happy times .He will be 16 this year but there is no response to attempts to build bridges with his mother and step-father.

Please don’t dismiss our attempts to bring greater awareness of this situation –to GPs,politicians and anyone with power to change things for us and our grandchildren .
I do hope it never happens to you.

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I find this a strange thing to write a letter to a GP about. When a doctor treats a patient he/she takes into account any problems they are having at the time of treatment. Are these people asking for extra or special treatment because they are having family issues ?

jingl The OP says it's an open letter to doctors. I assumed it was being publicised somewhere other than Gransnet, or possibly being circulated to GPs by NHS England, along with all the other crap things they have to wade through.

How many doctors read Gransnet?

It's good to read the comments in response to gransupport's post. I would be very worried if the break down in a relationship between adult children and their parents was labelled as 'elder abuse'. I am not saying abusive adult children don't exist by the way.

I don't like the way that the letter refers to alienation as abuse.
It isn't, IMHO.
It may be an extremely distressing and severe breakdown in communication, but it is not the same as a child or vulnerable adult being deliberately physically, sexually or emotionally abused by someone who has power over them.
I feel that any GP worth his or her salt would uncover any underlying causes of anxiety and depression during a consultation.
I will look out on Facebook for Dr Rant's response

I agree with both posts that GP's don't have all the answers.. there are many traumatic situations as well as estranged grandchildren that people of all ages find themselves in why should Grandparents be a special case? it can't be expected that GP's have the answers to everyones problems..

jenty I agree with your first sentence. Doctors cannot and should not be expected to have all the answers. Nor do all the answers lie in "a pill for every ill".

I agree that it does have an impact on our health when our children stop us seeing the grand children but don't think a doctor can help. Taking pills isn't the answer, perhaps mediation? I really don't know because all our circumstances are different. I do get angry though when I see grandparents send cards and presents to their grandchildren as this just riles their parents even more. Building a bridge with their parents is the first step and can't be rushed...