Quote From: karen_kikiAlex can be the most wonderful young man and very much in control however when his meds don't work, or he oushes the therapy out of his brain, which is not always aware he is doing it, he will have these fits, rages and creates complete disruption in our lives, that includes his own.
Alex is a very smart young man and very talented. He has so much potential but our fear in life is that one of his rages will bring that all to a halting end.
As any parent wants the best for thier child so do we.
We hope that you will find some answers in our story and that we can continue to email and contact each other. We are not alone and we and our children deserves answers as well as support to make it one day at a time.
My thoughts are with you as we take this journey in life.
I met someone a few years back who chose not to be my friend. Her reason was that if we didn't have Special Needs Children we would not have met or had anything in common, and she didn't want our children to link us together. I feel very sad for her as friends are important in life, and friends who understand and care are invaluable. I am reaching out to be your friend as we all need support.
Karen
Karen,
As I watched your story yesterday I felt you were me. Everything you said is what I am going through also. My 12 1/2 year old son, also named Alex, was diagnosed with Asperger's several years ago along with ADHD, OCD, a touch of Tourette's even. My Alex even looks like your Alex! Anyway, my life, like yours, has been completely turned upside down. Everything we do revolves around our son and how he will behave in public. I have two younger daughters who suffer because of their brother's issues. My relationship with my husband is strained to say the least, I am now on antidepressants and I am scared to death. I worry constantly about what my son's life will hold. I worry constantly about how he is doing in school. I dread the phone ringing because I know it is the school calling about another problem. Alex has been terribly bullied for several years. The school tries to help but they are completely incapable of giving my child what he really needs. Alex has voiced his desire to die before. I worry that he would maybe follow through with this one day. He KNOWS he is different. He KNOWS he has no friends. Unlike some kids with Austism, Asperger's children are completely aware of their differences and their inability to do anything about it. Sometimes I think that is worse. People are so cruel. The comments made to me about my son are rude, mean spirited and heartless. Because he looks normal they feel they have a right to say something to me. Sometimes I think if he had a visually apparent disability that it would be easier.
I pretty much knew the minute my son was born that things were not right. He had a traumatic birth with fetal distress, cephalopelvic disproportion, muconium aspiration and oxygen deprivation resulting in an emergency c-section. He cried nonstop for years and never slept. We have come a long way in finally getting this diagnosis but I feel such guilt about not doing more faster. I always replay the "what ifs" in my head. It is a terrible way to live.
Alex at 12 has no life except school (which he hates) and his video games. He likes to go to movies but that is about it. He has been on medications since he was 3. Now he is on Adderall (for his hyperactivity), Celexa (anti-depressant) and Clonidine (because he does not sleep). We tried Abilify for 4 days but the sideeffects were so bad and dramatic that we had to discontinue it. What meds is your Alex on? Oh, another question. After Alex has his functioning MRI, what kind of treatment will they do on him? I would love to do this for my Alex but we have an HMO and they are not very supportive about diagnostic studies such as this. I need to know that there is something else I can do to help my son. When I think about the future I get sick to my stomach. I am very scared. Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. I hope to hear from you soon, Val
Does your child rage, scream and kick doors? Is his or her behavior the typical brattiness of a spoiled child, or involuntary behavior beyond the child's control? Dr. Phil sheds light on a pair of widely misunderstood extreme neurological disorders. First, he looks at Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism which can cause a person to lack control over his or her emotions, including anger. Rich and Karen's 15-year-old son, Alex, was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 6. His sudden fits of rage and erratic behavior have put a strain on his whole family. Should his parents be afraid of Alex, or is there something they can do to bring his behavior under control? Plus, Craig, 37, can't control his physical tics, nor can he keep from constantly uttering obscenities, literally hundreds of times a day. Craig suffers from Tourette syndrome, an affliction that's gotten so bad, he won't go into grocery stores, movie theatres or any public place for fear he'll be kicked out. What will the disorder mean for his plans to start a family? Talk about the show here.
