Steely
Active Member
ktllc -
I just want you to know that I think you are in the right mindset. Do not overly freak out. You and your husband are right with keeping this all in balance.
The truth of the matter was that there was one or 2 times that Matt peed in his closet - and he was obsessed with fires, not destructive setting, just watching the fires - and although he did not hurt animals, ever, and he adored his pets - he was highly impulsive and would run around and stomp on ants with no regard to the fact they were an animal too. I knew all the signs of a psychopath, and it freaked me out beyond words that he was doing these things. However, he was also sweet, kinds, loving, smart, and a whole host of other things that seemed to make his actions seem more like something was chemically wrong rather than a budding psychopath. I tried to ignore the "classic sign stuff" and just focus on getting him help. He was in therapy, poor guy, since he was like 3. Not sure it really helped him - but I tried.
He is 20 now and I can safely tell you that he has a lot of issues - but he is not a psychopath. He lacks empathy in certain areas of life, but only when he is really, really angry. I have literally been through hell and back with the kid - but he is going to be OK. Still when things are really upsetting him he says he sees violent, graphic images - and again that concerns me (and now him) a ton - but it seems to dissipate when the stressor is gone.
Again, if there is something your son is internally trying to process, like the sitter perhaps, he is going to act out more until he can make sense of it in his head.
What kind of therapist is he seeing, a play therapist? You might also have him in a social skills group as well - thing tend to come up there that they wouldn't just in one on one.
Hugs
I just want you to know that I think you are in the right mindset. Do not overly freak out. You and your husband are right with keeping this all in balance.
The truth of the matter was that there was one or 2 times that Matt peed in his closet - and he was obsessed with fires, not destructive setting, just watching the fires - and although he did not hurt animals, ever, and he adored his pets - he was highly impulsive and would run around and stomp on ants with no regard to the fact they were an animal too. I knew all the signs of a psychopath, and it freaked me out beyond words that he was doing these things. However, he was also sweet, kinds, loving, smart, and a whole host of other things that seemed to make his actions seem more like something was chemically wrong rather than a budding psychopath. I tried to ignore the "classic sign stuff" and just focus on getting him help. He was in therapy, poor guy, since he was like 3. Not sure it really helped him - but I tried.
He is 20 now and I can safely tell you that he has a lot of issues - but he is not a psychopath. He lacks empathy in certain areas of life, but only when he is really, really angry. I have literally been through hell and back with the kid - but he is going to be OK. Still when things are really upsetting him he says he sees violent, graphic images - and again that concerns me (and now him) a ton - but it seems to dissipate when the stressor is gone.
Again, if there is something your son is internally trying to process, like the sitter perhaps, he is going to act out more until he can make sense of it in his head.
What kind of therapist is he seeing, a play therapist? You might also have him in a social skills group as well - thing tend to come up there that they wouldn't just in one on one.
Hugs
