Support For Foster/Adoptive Families
PTSD can manifest in many ways, one being nightmares. For my foster son, it seems he suffered from reliving the same scenario repeatedly. Here’s what we experienced and a few solutions we tried. Focus on the healing, love them as-is, and stay present, even when they don’t.
There were no lights in the closet. He thought spiders were crawling on him. The door was always locked. Still, he always checked it …just in case.
In a matter of months, this child we were caring for had received nine diagnosis’ with three more to be confirmed or ruled out. Be warned. This is not an unusual situation to run into.
Despite some extraordinary events and discoveries, we accepted this boy from foster care. Day after day we accepted him. And we evolved from strangers to parents because of this. We are blessed to have done so. *A special poem for foster/adoptive parents.*
The goal is to assist with “rewiring” the pathways towards social connections and therefore, the ability to form a healthy relationship. I pray that one day my son’s spirit will be restored and he will see with open eyes that I am not the person who hurt him.
I didn’t realize that the hardest moment of the day would actually come after the departure. For my husband and I, this would be life changing loss.
With the release of the movie “Instant Family,” we (the foster-adoptive community) are getting some important media attention. While I appreciate that, it’s important to remember that the trauma behind leaving one’s first family is deep and painful. It also doesn’t end on adoption day. A child’s writing reveals a lot this holiday season.
I’m sorry, this story has been moved. Please see the link below to be redirected. Strange Things My Child Begs For: Scavenger Behaviors In Foster ….
I recently caught up with a good friend and regaled her with stories of “how things are going” in my adoptive home. Well… first came ….
For many who have been sexually abused, assaulted, molested, teased, touched, or what-not, it is hard and uncomfortable to talk about it, even in today’s ….