and this is why Beyond Logic, consequences and control is so important for me to read, and read, and re-read if necessary. Although his behavior can be exhausting, my son is running around all day controlling situations and manipulating emotions not because he can, or that he wants to, but because he is trying really hard to fill a void in his life. He is just trying really hard to make himself feel better. Tonight he hung around too long after lights out, he followed me into the bathroom and said “Mummy my heart is the size of plankton right now, and he is very small!” This, or something similar to this, is my queue to get onboard and pay attention. The following hour was spent with both of us sobbing and talking and talking until he eventually fell asleep.
Anyway, this serves as an addendum to my earlier post. Post traumatic stress, Developmental trauma disorder, ADD, Depression, Anxiety, personally it doesn’t matter what we call it, what does matter is that we understand he is in pain. As he puts it ‘there is a hole in his heart, it hurts, and he can’t find a way to fill it.” So I do take it all back, but only for me, instead I want to keep using my wish for him! I think he want’s a normal day way more than I can ever imagine.