Support For Foster/Adoptive Families
Post-placement grief, or “post-adoption depression,” is becoming more widely recognized in the mental health field. As parents adjust to their new roles as parents, the devastating knowledge of childhood trauma, loss of control in one’s life, and the potential for major shifts in one’s natural support system, are a few of the reasons new parents should take advantage of the clinical, therapeutic supports available to them.
Mother’s Day was coming up. “It’s supposed to be MY day, now!” This thinking was wrong, wrong wrong. We should never consider our role as an adoptive parent to be a “replacement” for a biological parent.
I’d thought… one day, when the “story” is done being written… I could help the next person. Encourage them. Strengthen them. And so on. But now, what I’ve learned is that EVEN in the middle of the chapter… even when we are about to turn a page that will surprise us all… my story matters NOW.
Stomach pangs from hunger were familiar. Emptiness was familiar. …But I couldn’t feed him. Mealtimes still felt like hostage negotiations; “Take a bite AND chew, and we’ll fly in your escape helicopter filled with bags of cash!!”
I’m sorry, this story has moved to a new location! Please click below to be redirected. Janelle Molony Talks Adoption on Sonoran Living LIVE! To ….
Official release date: Feb. 1, 2020.
Ranked #35 out of 2.2K memoirs, #5 for foster care and #5 for special needs books on WattPad! (9/18/19)
I’m so excited to be growing in community and seeing my stories go *beyond* myself. If you are looking for me, here’s where I can be found…
After months of acclimating to our foster son and trying to help with his emotional preparations for the upcoming adoption, we were at a point of acceptance. Who he was and who he wanted to be, were at odds, however.
Prior to living with us, he had been in 7 different “families.” No wonder it took so long to get to know him! A sense of self is patterned after those we are around and identify with. I’m so glad he chose to identify with us!
“That’s him.” My spouse picked out a boy from the crowd and our world stood still. I was jealous of my spouse and rejected what was in front of my eyes. For me, love would take a long time to manifest. But I did feel something…