Gavin is causing everyone grief. He has Elliott Richard so scared (from all the stories and thoughts he shares with him) that he won’t be by himself even for a minute. Elliott Richard won’t even use the bathroom because he’s so afraid.
This is when the whole adopted child vs biological child comes into play for me. Gavin is causing ER to be in distress. I know I would be just as upset if Gavin was my bio child but the fact is he’s not. Everything in me is telling me to make ER and EJ safe and I can’t find a way to do that with Gavin here.
His problems have sucked the life out of this family and now EJ is following in his footsteps. EJ has become so destructive over the past few weeks. His current favorite thing to do is rip the keys off of the keyboard of Lizze’s netbook. He physically hurts himself as well as Lizze and ER.
I’m not strong enough to keep going like this. I feel like I’m losing my grip.
What respite services are available in your area? You may want to check into short term (a few hours or overnight) respite for ER and EJ and longer term for Gavin. We have a pretty respite program where I live. There is even a respite house that the respite provider or provider(s) if the child needs more than one person can stay. I suggest that you check into all the services offered by the mental health department in your county and use them to the max.