Moments of Turmoil and Frustration
I feel that I need to do a follow up blog on moments in autism life that are not so great. These are the moments that are the hardest to deal with for the child and especially for the parents. When I talk to parents, we talk seriously about these moments. Our life is not an Instagram page of “happy times”. The “real” life of autism can be very scary and hard to deal with.
Life in the autism world is like living in a different universe. Outsiders may not be able to totally fathom what goes on in this world. I think if they did, they would run away extremely fast! Each day can be challenging and I am extremely grateful for happy and calm moments. I relish in the peace and quiet when it comes.
Let me tell you about some recent turmoil and definite frustration in our home. Without getting into too many details, our son has immune system challenges that are dealt with medically. Unfortunately, in the month of February, he has been ill for the entire month. First it was a viral throat situation and then (through some yearly tests that we have done) we found out he had a bacterial infection in his gut. This is extremely uncomfortable and painful and I am sure that everyone can relate to having an upset stomach. This is much worse because it actually takes probably 3 weeks or so of medication to get rid of this type of infection. The physical pain is one component but the emotional pain is also very real.
So things in our house have been very unsettled. We have many sleepless nights because of our son being in a lot of physical pain. This has affected all of our household. We have had yelling and screaming and all kinds of emotions happening and at all hours of the day and night. Our daughter actually had to go to sleep at a friend’s house one night because she was so tired. To top it all off, I’ve had to manage trying to be calm and stable and just supporting him while he goes through this. This is extremely hard when it’s a month of this going on. I have to say, I have not been at my best and I was very happy when he finally was able to go to school last week. We are still dealing with a few issues but the worst has passed and it couldn’t have come soon enough because I was totally physically and emotionally drained. The frustration and agitation from our son has really taken its toll.
Dealing with emotions and feelings when you have autism is very difficult, whether you are verbal or non-verbal. You may know that your child is sick but they may not be able to tell you exactly what is going on. For some parents, they either have to guess or try to get a doctor to figure out what is happening. This is so very hard on everyone involved.
I believe that God has given me a great big extra dose of patience for these times that are difficult to cope with. I know that I cannot do it on my own. Every day this was happening, I just said a prayer to God to heal our son’s body because I know that everything is out of my hands. I have to leave things to God and trust that He will not allow me to get to a breaking point and if that does happen, I have to pray for more patience.
Prayer has been such an important part of my faith journey. I pray each and every day. Sometimes it’s for specific things and sometimes it’s for God just to give me the strength to get through the day. I make it a point of especially praying for families who are dealing with autism. I pray that God gives strength and wisdom to these parents and that they feel that they have someone to turn to when things are difficult. I also pray that God gives me the words to comfort and help the families that I deal with on a regular basis so that they will be able to see and feel the presence of God through our conversations.
Mark 11:24 says,
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it and it shall be yours.”
Say a prayer today for someone you know who is dealing with autism. I guarantee God will hear your prayer!
Shelly Wedge|
xceptional Family Ministries Coordinator
Amberlea Church