BusynMember
Well-Known Member
I hope so too, hon.
I think you are very kind, smart, and very brave a great role model to your kids!
I think you are very kind, smart, and very brave a great role model to your kids!
Sumsky. This may not be deliberate, planned or even conscious. He may compartmentalize. Not want to or be able to think about what happened. He cannot face it.There is absolutely NO remorse or even an act of it!
Copabanana I do understand what you are saying. I have been back and forth with this so many times lately. On one hand I do feel for him I do know he needs so much help, I do think the therapists are getting through to him on some level because I do think he felt the panic this time, he felt the damage but only to himself. On the other I am so angry and frustrated that it makes it hard for me to even be around him. When I see him act like nothing even happened and life is fine then I question again if he even knows or cares what anyone else has been through all week. He honestly seems like since his friend is getting his headphones replaced that all is fine now. He doesn’t understand why he won’t be invited back to their house or why other friends may not want him to stay at their house. He seems that since we have the phone back then all is fine with that situation. (He doesn’t even know that CYS has to investigate yet.)So either he doesn’t understand or can’t understand. Hopefully those answers come to us with the test results. And you are right, I need to just wait a lil bit longer.... I guess it’s hard to understand how someone can have so lil care or understanding of the magnitude of the situation.Sumsky. This may not be deliberate, planned or even conscious. He may compartmentalize. Not want to or be able to think about what happened. He cannot face it.
You are the one who is ascribing motive to behavior that may not be motivated as much as defensive. Him protecting him against awareness of him.
I am in no way defending him. Or advocating for a diagnosis of one thing over another. I am saying YOU will be better served if you do not fill in the missing blanks with INTENT on his part, PLANNING on his part, DELIBERATION on his part. *Although these have not been ruled out, yet. This child is sick. He has fallen apart. He is trying to recoup. I feel for him. He must feel he is on the brink of losing everything. I really, really feel for his Dad and you, both of you.
This is all too understandable.On the other I am so angry and frustrated that it makes it hard for me to even be around him.
It is not that he steals or does anything antisocial. But it is that he does not seem to get cause and effect and he does not see that others will not take as primary his priorities.He doesn’t understand why he won’t be invited back to their house or why other friends may not want him to stay at their house. He seems that since we have the phone back then all is fine with that situation.
Yes. As I am posting here, I am wondering for me if there is some kind of defense involved. I ascribe intent because accepting my son is so limited would be intolerable to me. Do I protect myself by seeing him as motivated to not understand or indifferent? If this is the case I am causing myself and him a great deal of heartache.I guess it’s hard to understand how someone can have so lil care or understanding of the magnitude of the situation.
SWOT, SS definitely lacks empathy. That has been noted with the psychosexual evaluation, the therapists, and the case worker. Therapists have been working on teaching him by having each us of describe to him how the things he does make us feel. How they impact us by describing our emotions instead of telling him this is the right way, this is the wrong way. For a time, it seemed that was getting through to him. SS seems to be able to change faces very quickly for the situation. He tends to say the ‘right things’ when he needs to. When asking SS how he thinks someone feels about something he can tell you the words but can’t explain how it might feel. Therapists are unsure if he can’t ‘feel emotion’ so he doesn’t know how we feel or if he doesn’t have the cognitive ability to describe those emotions. Honestly, one time I feel it’s that he is just cold hearted and only thinks of himself and other times I think he really just does not get this. Either way, it is very sad. However, one holds a lot of hope, the other not so much. One puts us all in danger, the other not so much.Autistics tend to understand rules unless they are very severe. That isnt autism, at least most. Autistics tend to be tje victim, not bully.
Some people cant get it. Some people do what they want and pretend they don't get it and are only upset when they get caught. Some oeople hurt others on purpose and understand it. How can they? They are empathy challenged. People dont matter to them. They go after what they want and too bad if it harms another.
There ARE people with no empathy. Sure they are sick but they are also a danger to society and need to be confined. I doubt anyone would argue that Charles Manson wasnt sick. People dont think like him. Not mentally sound people. But he cant be at large. But there are people without empathy who dont go as far as murder. Sexual abusers are the same.
Our foster/adopted son admitted in residential that he knew killing animals lying and molestation was wrong. His gig was up. He had to talk. But his biggest concern was would we give him his toys, and he never asked how anyone was. He didnt care. His case manager had to talk to us as
It took years for the legal adoption to end so we were privy to his life in aprison for young offenders. Had he shown any remorse we may have parented him from afar but he never did. In fact in residential lockdown he was caught trying to perp on another kid a few years later.
He had attachment disorder severe. That was all that was ever found under extreme testing, scrutiny and mental health services. Was that the right diagnoses? I believe it was one of them. But as I have often brought up here, psychiatry is inexact. There are no blood tests to prove a diagnosis. The DSM is just the current book and ever changing. That is all psychiatry has so often the doctors are wrong or confused or ten doctors come up with ten different diagnoses.
So R. could have also been more than Reactive Attachment Disorder (Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)). Psychiatriats, before he was found molesting kids, wrote down that he was a nice well adjusted sweet kid who was just borderline slow in IQ (high 80s).
There is no way as of 2018 to prove what is wrong for certain in somebodys mind. All we can do is observe that certain people are dangerous for some reason. And doctors can try to figure out why. But thats guesswork.
SS is dangerous for some reason. He seems in my opinion not to not understand the rules but to want to break serious sexual and other rules then act panicked when he is caught. Not because he doesnt know. Because he was caught and wants no consequences.
Copa your son is so different. He has no history of hurting society on purpose, just himself. No sexual abuse or lack of consccience. He has to battle challenges like drugs in utero and head injuries and for him these could be a factor. He is not a threat to society. He is more vulnerable and apt to be bullied rather than bully. He wont follow your rules because he wont quit pot, which he knows is a bottom line. Maybe pot is essential in his mind to his functionality so he could be terrified to give it up. More terrified than living on the streets. But if my kids met J, they would not fear him and he would not hurt them. I think this is apples and oranges. Your boy is not dangerous to others at all. Never has been.
SS was born into a loving family as a healthy infant and had no head injuries or traumas to do this to him. My son either. Both lack empathy. I would not feel comfortable alone with my son because i dont trust his behavior. Why is he like this? He was always like this. He had therapy until I couldnt legally force it anymore.
It seems he learned nothing from life or therapy and he still lacks empathy. Some people do. They are not safe, no matter why they dont have empathy. My son is not a physical threat to others but he can use people in a bad way and not care. Gives me the chills.
I truly think SS is in that lack of empathy category.
I hope the other kids continue to be protected from him. Maybe forever. My three angel kids want nothing to do with Bart. They have heard him yell and swear at me. They dont know the rest but that is enough for good people to reject others.
Ok, off the soap box. Maybe he will shock me and show empathy. At any rate, for whatever reason, he is currently willing to do harm and that is never accrptable. The sexual stuff is a huge ref flag.
Just my two cents.
Copabanana, SS does not understand cause and effect AT ALL. He is truly believes that this has not impacted anyone other than him at this point. And only because he has lost privileges now. I feel for you and your son.YThis is all too understandable.
Now this is sounding like my own son:
It is not that he steals or does anything antisocial. But it is that he does not seem to get cause and effect and he does not see that others will not take as primary his priorities.
For example, he was living with a friend and friend's father. People he likes and knew for many years. The dad said no marijuana. And pay rent. My son does not understand that those are rules and that if he does not choose to follow them, there are consequences. TO HIM. I could tell you a dozen more situations where my son suffered because he cannot get that others have interests, too. And that if they have power over him, he loses. My son is NOT amoral and he is not conduct disordered. Honestly, I have never looked at it this way, for him. That this could be on the autism spectrum. That he is just not computing.
Yes. As I am posting here, I am wondering for me if there is some kind of defense involved. I ascribe intent because accepting my son is so limited would be intolerable to me. Do I protect myself by seeing him as motivated to not understand or indifferent? If this is the case I am causing myself and him a great deal of heartache.
Copabanana at the start of all of this, I had no doubt that SS was antisocial. Autism was never a thought. Never, not even in the early years when he was diagnosed with ADHD. But having the therapists point out things has made me more aware. And he truly does not understand others emotions, he lacks remorse. He does not understand how he impacts others. I feel for you and your son. I know the worry we have and we still have some control and say on what happens with him. It is all so confusing and frustrating. I can’t imagine a life without the capacity to feel love and acceptance and compassion. But I also cannot allow that same person to keep harming others because of it. It doesn’t sound like your son hurts anyone but himself. That has to be so hard to accept. We always want so much for our children. Sending hugs your way.YThis is all too understandable.
Now this is sounding like my own son:
It is not that he steals or does anything antisocial. But it is that he does not seem to get cause and effect and he does not see that others will not take as primary his priorities.
For example, he was living with a friend and friend's father. People he likes and knew for many years. The dad said no marijuana. And pay rent. My son does not understand that those are rules and that if he does not choose to follow them, there are consequences. TO HIM. I could tell you a dozen more situations where my son suffered because he cannot get that others have interests, too. And that if they have power over him, he loses. My son is NOT amoral and he is not conduct disordered. Honestly, I have never looked at it this way, for him. That this could be on the autism spectrum. That he is just not computing.
Yes. As I am posting here, I am wondering for me if there is some kind of defense involved. I ascribe intent because accepting my son is so limited would be intolerable to me. Do I protect myself by seeing him as motivated to not understand or indifferent? If this is the case I am causing myself and him a great deal of heartache.
This is true, SWOT. Thank you for your comments.But if my kids met J, they would not fear him and he would not hurt them.
This is so complicated, Sumsky.He does not understand how he impacts others.
As SWOT said it really doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Autism. I mean he might have Aspergers also but typically it’s social cues that have to be taught, not a conscience. The few people I know with Aspergers have very well defined consciences, maybe too well, especially after the fact. I think that comes from trying to find their way through the maze. Even when they don’t understand emotions they don’t want to hurt and disregard others.
A long time ago I had a talk with a therapist about the existence or lack there of when someone doesn’t seem to have a conscience. What she told me was; that a person needs to be able to empathize to have a conscience. But a conscience is not required for someone to live a good life. She said there are lots of people who don’t have much of a conscience doing okay and who have never been in trouble. She said in their cases the driving factor is to keep from causing trouble for themselves. They follow the rules of society just because it keeps them out of trouble and makes life easier for them
Good.SS friend’s parents called the police and reported that he stole the headphones.
The painful thing for your husband is this: It is no longer his call whether or not stepson receives consequences. He no longer has a say. What he thinks does not get factored in. Your stepson by his behavior has engaged with "society" in that for the kinds of things he is doing, there are consequences beyond school, beyond home. These are called laws. I am not being sarcastic or cynical here. I am feeling empathy.Husband thought SS was bailed out again and it was over.
If this would’ve been one incident, I would agree that maybe it wasn’t the best choice to report it
Copa, I do feel for my husband. He has tried for years to hide and cover for SS. Always saying he’s not a bad kid just makes bad decisions. I believe it’s hard for any of us to see our children as anything other than those sweet little babies. And now reality is hitting him very hard and very quickly. Things are unraveling and spiraling. It’s exhausting!! And it’s a very hard punch. I am still hopeful for changes. I just can’t give that up just yet. Maybe I never will. But right now, my family needs some rest and healing. We cannot go on this way much longer. I truly believe that my husband knows and wants SS to go to inpatient but he can’t be the one that makes that call. He needs someone to do that for him.Good.
The painful thing for your husband is this: It is no longer his call whether or not stepson receives consequences. He no longer has a say. What he thinks does not get factored in. Your stepson by his behavior has engaged with "society" in that for the kinds of things he is doing, there are consequences beyond school, beyond home. These are called laws. I am not being sarcastic or cynical here. I am feeling empathy.
I wish I knew how you could help your husband. Because he is struggling to feel control, when he really has none. The will suffer as long as he feels he can or should be able to control the situation which is spiraling beyond anybody's ability to control it.
I guess all of us feel this way. But I feel for your husband.
Thank goodness you have in place this framework you put in place: the diagnosis, the therapy, the contacts, all of what you have done in these months. Without it there would be a worse crisis. Now it is to respond. There are no more choices now. It is only to recognize what is. I am so sorry.
Elsi, I agree.... had this been one of the kids friends, I would not have reported it if this was a kid that didn’t have a background. I would’ve allowed the parents to handle it. However, if I knew the parents wouldn’t discipline or if I knew there were repeated issues there, I would’ve done the same. I do believe that kids make mistakes and most learn from them. Just the fact of getting caught and admitting the theft is enough for most kids, but not all.I have come to the conclusion that protecting them from the natural consequences of their actions is almost never the right move. No matter what the problem is, how else will they learn?
I still think hiding evidence suggests he understands very well that what he did was wrong.
While his dad may think reporting is ‘a little extreme’, it’s infinitely better for him to face these consequences now and learn from them (hopefully) than be charged on something similar as an adult. It is not a kindness to let him avoid this learning.
SWOT, I agree that in SS case I’m glad it was reported. But if it was one of my kids’ friends and it was a kid without any problems and I knew their parents would handle it, I would not report it. They would not be welcomed back but I would give them that chance. I feel most kids make mistakes and deserve the benefit of doubt. However, that is not the case with SS and I do feel it needed reported.If somebody stole from my kids the police would be called. Nobody has a right to steal from anyone. Why is it extreme to report a theft?
We would not have accepted grandpas money.
Its about time SS gets into trouble for breaking sociery's rules. Maybe this will stop him from stealing from a store. And matbe not. But I hope.
Is it tomorrow that the testing results are presented? Something will happen soon. I can imagine how the family is feeling. It really is too much. I am sorry, Sumsky.I truly believe that my husband knows and wants SS to go to inpatient but he can’t be ther one that makes that call. He needs someone to do that for him.
I know you do, Sumsky.I do feel for my husband.
Testing results are November 5th at 5:00. It can’t come soon enough!!Is it tomorrow that the testing results are presented? Something will happen soon. I can imagine how the family is feeling. It really is too much. I am sorry, Sumsky.
I know you do, Sumsky.