Life is very precious. Sometimes,especially when dealing with autism, it can feel like a roller coaster ride. One minute everything is great. The next it takes a sudden twist and you’re hanging on for dear life. We all have autism rising days. Those days when autism rears it’s ugly head and meltdowns ensue. The days when there is clearly something wrong with your child or he’s out of sorts but you can’t place your finger on it . But if you’re stressed all the time, you feel low, or you’re anxious about what the future holds, it’s important to seek help.
Where To Turn On Autism Rising Days
Your Significant Other
For many of us, our partner is the first person we turn to when we’re unhappy, or things aren’t quite going to plan. A strong relationship can build you up when you feel down and give you hope when you’re scared or worried. It’s so important to work on your relationship despite all the challenges that autism brings to your family. You should support and reassure each other. Sometimes, you may feel completely comfortable opening up to your partner or spouse, but there may be instances when you’d rather talk to others. This may be the case if you’re going through a rough patch in your relationship.. If you find it hard to be open, consider seeking marriage counseling to help alleviate the pressure. It’s not bad to seek people other than your spouse to talk to but it is something to work on if you find yourself doing it more often than not. Marriage and autism is a tough gig but remembering that you’re a team and leaning on each other makes autism rising days far more bearable.
Your faith
Not everybody is religious, but having faith can be a source of great support and stability. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your partner or friends, sometimes talking to someone ,like a leader in your church ,could help. People find great strength in the church If you’re feeling low, talking to others or even thinking out loud in a holy place that makes you feel secure and at ease may benefit you. We all know that church is not always doable with our kids. At my lowest point, Michael would stay home with Logan so I could sit through a service to recharge my batteries. When that wasn’t possible, I would put on my Praise playlist to remind me of His Greatness.
Friendship is one of the most valuable commodities on Earth. You don’t have to have loads of friends to be happy, but having special people who you trust can enhance the quality of your life beyond measure. Having a tribe of people that are as invested in your success as you are will be invaluable during tough days. Keep your best friends as close as possible and always ensure that channels of communication remain open. Even if you don’t see each other as much as you’d like or your friends are all online, knowing that your friends are always at the end of the phone if you need a shoulder to cry on or somebody to make you laugh until your stomach hurts gives you strength.
Your family
If you’re going through a hard time, don’t think twice about leaning on the people closest to you. Whether you’re having problems in your relationship, you’re worried about money or you’re running on empty because of pressure at work or caring for the kids full-time, it’s so important to know when to ask for help. Many of us have close bonds with family members, but we’re still reticent to reach out when we could do with advice or even a bit of help at home. Family doesn’t have to be blood. Some of our greatest helpers and cheerleaders are framily or friends who have become family.
Expert advice
If you’re struggling with stress or you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have control, or you don’t know what to do next, don’t hesitate to ask for expert help. This may mean seeing a doctor to help you deal with anxiety or stress, finding a therapist to guide you or seeing a financial adviser/lawyer if you need practical advice. This is certainly an end of the rope response but it needs to be said. When autism rising days happen too often, we can get overwhelmed which causes us to do things we regret later. Swallow your pride and reach out for expert help before it’s too late.
