Hello,
My name is Ellen and I am new here. My difficult child is a 15 year old former honor student who has moprhed into an oppositional, drug using, school avoiding, failing, physically and verbally violent rule breaker. I cannot recall a day in the last 6 months that he has not done something outrageous. The day after Thanksgiving I discovered that he had let a homeless heroin addict into the house and that my lifetime worth of jewelry, silver and other sentimental items had been stolen, with his help in some instances over a several month period. He curses at me, comes home late, you name it, he does it.
He has a therapist and is classified at school, but nothing is working at school, largely because he's rarely there a full day and because our district is, frankly, not too responsive to classified students, especially with his type of problems. He wants to drop outof school, but I oppose this...he's capable of straight A's and has no apparent future if he dropsout. I've taken things away...cell phone, computer...etc...He's been in drug day programs but invariable missed the van...I want him to get into some sort of residential program but have no money for that.
Tonight, I am struggling to feel anything for him but anger. I know I love him, but I just don't feel it anymore. He has hurtme and the family in so many ways and I struggle each day to have enough courage to go to work and face my patients with a smile and a helpful ear. My heart is broken.
Does anyone know of a way to get a child into a residential program without going into serious debt? Does anyone know how to live with the knowledge that one of your children may end up in jail or on the streets? What do you do with the hole left in your heart??
Thanksfor listening. I know this was long.
Ellen
My name is Ellen and I am new here. My difficult child is a 15 year old former honor student who has moprhed into an oppositional, drug using, school avoiding, failing, physically and verbally violent rule breaker. I cannot recall a day in the last 6 months that he has not done something outrageous. The day after Thanksgiving I discovered that he had let a homeless heroin addict into the house and that my lifetime worth of jewelry, silver and other sentimental items had been stolen, with his help in some instances over a several month period. He curses at me, comes home late, you name it, he does it.
He has a therapist and is classified at school, but nothing is working at school, largely because he's rarely there a full day and because our district is, frankly, not too responsive to classified students, especially with his type of problems. He wants to drop outof school, but I oppose this...he's capable of straight A's and has no apparent future if he dropsout. I've taken things away...cell phone, computer...etc...He's been in drug day programs but invariable missed the van...I want him to get into some sort of residential program but have no money for that.
Tonight, I am struggling to feel anything for him but anger. I know I love him, but I just don't feel it anymore. He has hurtme and the family in so many ways and I struggle each day to have enough courage to go to work and face my patients with a smile and a helpful ear. My heart is broken.
Does anyone know of a way to get a child into a residential program without going into serious debt? Does anyone know how to live with the knowledge that one of your children may end up in jail or on the streets? What do you do with the hole left in your heart??
Thanksfor listening. I know this was long.
Ellen