The stress of caring for an autistic child
Wow, having a child on the spectrum is really wearing me down! I think it is affecting my own health. The last few weeks have been really hard. Our autistic son is now age 7 and stronger willed than ever. There are some days I am not sure how I will make it through the day because caring for him is so demanding. We also have one other son who is age 4 (not has not been diagnosed with autism, although there are days that I wonder if he isn’t somewhere on the spectrum), and the two of them together, out in public with me, really wears me down. It’s almost to the point that I cannot take both of them out alone, by myself, as it is too physically and emotionally demanding. The meltdowns in public, the screaming…. my son yelling that he wants to hurt me or others. It is hard being out in public, and my son with autism is getting so much stronger and getting more of a temper, so it’s concerning. I pray a lot, and that helps. But it can be very lonely as a parent, especially living in a rural area, with few supports. However, I am sure I am not alone in these feelings, and I do know that there are others going through this very same thing, even if they don’t live in my local community.