| One of the major problems facing parent(s), | | | | companionship to help you with your child who has |
| caregiver(s), today with autistic children is loneliness | | | | autism. |
| and feeling alone. This has been my experience, as I | | | | I have learned through my experiences, that there is a |
| see more and more families who have autistic children. | | | | difference of being alone raising a child, but is does not |
| They are requesting help and guidance on how to | | | | mean you must be lonely in the process. |
| handle loneliness in their lives, due to the fact that they | | | | It may not always be possible to avoid being alone, |
| have an autistic child. | | | | especially if you feel you are alone with an autistic |
| I have learned, when people experience painful losses | | | | child, due to the fact, that many people do not |
| in their lives, it is sad to realize that many never get | | | | understand what you or your child are going through or |
| over them. Sometimes when you receive unexpected | | | | you are a single parent or caregiver. |
| news such as, your child is autistic, it hurts, it is | | | | The pain from loneliness may be felt for a long time, it |
| unbearable. Without proper help or insight into the issue, | | | | is like a healing wound. To make change for recovery |
| there can be a sense of loneliness that will be created. | | | | requires improvement on a daily level. You must be |
| It becomes heavy and does not want to go away or | | | | aware of your loneliness, but you do not have to feel |
| disappear. Sometimes the loneliness appears to get | | | | alone. |
| darker as time goes by. | | | | Remember, there is a new life with your autistic child, |
| When you have a child with autism, loneliness sets in | | | | that can bring you joy. There will always be challenges, |
| and you may not know the cause or why it does. You | | | | in your life, but it is not over. Another new life will begin |
| become numb, and discouraged. You want to quit and | | | | and grow with your child who has autism. |
| give up. You do not have to live with loneliness, | | | | I would recommend that you do not sit and wait for |
| because your child has the disorder of autism. You | | | | something to happen or someone to come along and |
| can confront it and make positive changes. | | | | rescue you. Take action, go make new friends, search |
| Having the feeling of being alone and lonely, sets in | | | | for other people who feel lonely as you do because |
| motion an inner ache, emptiness, numbness, or a | | | | they have a child with the disorder of autism. Learn to |
| craving of wanting attention and affection. There can | | | | make friends with new people that are on common |
| be side effects from feeling alone and lonely. For | | | | ground with you, concerning your loneliness. |
| example: These feelings can become emptiness, | | | | Let your loneliness you feel, turn into compassion for |
| uselessness, or you feel you have no purpose in life | | | | other lonely people who are going through a similar |
| and they can lead to depression. | | | | dilemma. Take action, open new doors that lead to |
| You may be a single parent or caregiver, raising your | | | | healthy changes. Loneliness does not have to become |
| child with autism on your own. You may feel desolate, | | | | a lonely life, because your child has the disorder of |
| rejected, deserted, because there is lack of | | | | autism. Do something about it. Life is a banquet. |