I know this road personally
I often compare receiving a diagnosis to being on a train on a mainline track. Then the diagnosis comes, and it feels like the bottom has fallen away beneath your feet. You are shunted onto a parallel track that seemed joyful and hopeful, to one that feels full of many more stops and obstacles along the way.
Suddenly the enormity of the challenge reveals itself. The big transformations needed in thought and action threaten to overwhelm you. Relationships feel shaky. Other children might feel neglected. Careers suffer.
As the mother of a son with severe cognitive impairment, I know that this road is a challenging one. I decided I wanted to offer therapy support to parents and carers of differently-abled children and relatives, to help you feel heard in a safe space where you can explore your pain, frustrations, and challenges without having to justify them to someone who does not understand.
You are not alone in this
In a world made for neurotypicals, it can feel like a daily battle to access the support your loved one deserves. And then there is your own inner world to contend with: the self-doubt, the exhaustion, the worry about the future, the emotions you suppress just to get through the day.
None of that makes you a bad parent or carer. It makes you human. And it deserves a proper space.