Re: Emotionally Drained
SS, the 'write a letter' advice is a good one! When we were going through hell with my daughter, I wrote her a letter saying how I felt: Depression, anger, sense of hopelessness, then a sense of hope that her treatment was the right way, and on & on. Hand-delivered it during visiting hours, and she tore it up without even opening it. I tried to maintain my composure and acted like it didn't bother me, but it did. Later that night at home, I re-wrote it, almost verbatim, and held on to it until after the whole mess was nothing but a bitter memory. I had nearly forgotten about it when I ran across it again, buried deep in my underwear drawer. When I opened it and read it to myself, I couldn't help but break down in a sobbing fit. Although knowing it all worked out for the better, seeing how I truly felt at the time brought back a flood of disturbing memories and my thoughts at the time. Later, I gathered my courage and gave my daughter the letter. I told her it was the same as the one she ripped up. She took it into her room and closed the door. When she came out a couple of hours later, she was obviously upset and had been crying. She came up to me, gave me a big hug, and thanked me for not giving up on her. She knew that the easiest thing for me to do would have been to wash my hands of her and let her self-destruct. We talked a lot about our lives, trusting that there really is a higher being, and our guardian angels.<br />We're a close family now; much closer than we were when we lived through those times.<br />I guess what I'm trying to say is to never give up on your son. Stick it out, even though he's acting like he'll never forgive you, he will. He's in his own living hell right now, and it'll take a lot of courage and dedication on your part to see it through.<br />We're all pulling for you and know you have a tough time coming still! Keep the faith, you will succeed!
