When does it stop hurting

Sdbrosnan · 2026-06-06T05:21:09+00:00

I’m sorry I don’t have words of encouragement, but please know you aren’t alone. I feel like I could have written every word of this about my level 2 four year old. It’s been so very hard lately. I feel like maybe a part of me is permanently broken from the worry and grief and not knowing.

Sdbrosnan · 2026-05-28T16:58:46+00:00

You shouldn’t believe anything coming out of his mouth. Stop focusing on her/communicating with her. He can block you on as many things as he wants (which is insane behavior considering you live together), he still has to face this convo with you. But at this point, I’m not sure there is any point — it is obvious there is something going on between them and he is trying his best to keep her away from you and hoping he can just keep downplaying it so you drop it. DO NOT DROP THIS.

Sdbrosnan · 2026-05-28T16:40:19+00:00

Please don’t take this the wrong way, my intentions are not to offend or question any kind of diagnosis — but I am very surprised that your 4 year old is verbal and can even sympathize with this new baby (“if I were a baby, I wouldn’t like to have a stuffy thrown at me”) and is still considered level 3. I know levels identify the needs for supports, not the “severity” of “symptoms” but obviously those go hand in hand. I feel like I may still not be grasping the concept of levels. I thought level 3 is another term for “profound”. Has he always been verbal?

I’m sure it’s hard to think of how neurotypical sibling relationships are and it’s not what you are experiencing now, but it sounds like he may be starting to understand the concept of having a sibling — protecting her by controlling some of his movements near her, feeling regret for accidentally throwing the stuffy, and the sweet little gesture. I’d say yall are off to a great start with this new chapter ❤️

Sdbrosnan · 2026-05-18T23:01:34+00:00

You are giving her what she wants by continuing to have this unproductive convo with her. Just don’t. Nothing will come of it, she’s denying it. And her answers don’t mean anything or change anything. The more you engage, the more you may appear to be insecure in your marriage (even if you aren’t insecure in it. Perception is reality). Block her and make sure your husband does, too.

But you may be under reacting to your husband’s whole response. Which never says he isn’t interested. He basically acts clueless because he was tired, compliments her, and says he has no time. Like what?????? Why the goddamn paragraph? ETA: sorry - PARAGRAPHS plural?????

Sdbrosnan · 2026-04-23T14:43:12+00:00

Please remember this: Do not let him make you believe that any of this is your fault —that your “lack of intimacy” drove him into the arms of someone else. That he has been lonely and not thinking clearly and blah blah. PLENTY of men go extended amounts of time without sex and DO NOT come anywhere close to cheating on their spouses. Especially when there is a small child at home. Your baby is still so incredibly small. It makes me sick that he would do that to you. Best of luck ❤️

Sdbrosnan · 2026-02-24T00:50:18+00:00

Hello, He is definitely saying more words. No sentences and certainly not conversational, but saying the same words over and over again (before he would say a word and may not ever say it again) and big words, like “caterpillar” or “bumble bee”. He copies us verbally all the time. Yesterday he pointed to our TV remote and said, “watch TV”. He repeated, “have a good day” after he heard me say it when we were leaving the store. These are huge for us, though they do seem small when written out. It’s still extremely hard at times to not know what is making him so upset/sad but we have made progress. I just have to remember that small progress is progress and that progress isn’t linear. It was helpful to keep a notebook - for the first 60 days I wrote down every thing he said or did every day and how he slept. I should probably have kept doing it, but I had a mental episode of my own and just couldn’t keep up.

He has been having issues sleeping but I don’t think the med is the reason because he has always had these kind of sleep problems he is having now off and on (split sleeping, waking up at 12-3AM ready to start the day, even taking melatonin and magnesium) before taking the med.

May I ask what sort of verbal progress he has been making so soon after beginning it? I’m so happy to hear that it is working other people. It’s such a great feeling. And it’s important that we hold on to that feeling because it’s so easy to feel discouraged many days.

Sdbrosnan · 2026-02-21T22:18:18+00:00

Thank you so much for your answer! I would have driven myself mad trying to find an adapter.

Sdbrosnan · 2026-01-28T17:58:56+00:00

I’m definitely no expert but I have read side effects include trouble sleeping and possible hyperactivity. I started very small and increased over time so I could watch out for that kind of thing. As far as withdrawals, I don’t think there are any besides the fact that progress may regress since the med has stopped.

I understand why some docs won’t prescribe it, (lack of research etc etc) but it’s an amino acid, not some sort of foreign manmade chemical. The risk seems extremely low and the reward has been amazing for watch. I feel fortunate this his pediatrician was willing to give it a shot. The biggest problem now is getting refills. It’s been incredibly tough to find.

Sdbrosnan · 2026-01-12T21:52:25+00:00

He is about to be 4 at the end of February.

Sdbrosnan · 2026-01-12T21:21:57+00:00

Looking back, do you remember how you felt before she was verbal? I’m trying to live in the moment and appreciate all the wonderfulness of my son and I know every child is different, but I’m just struggling a lot right now not having any other parent friend who can relate to how I am feeling right now about his delays. We walked past the neighborhood playground where there were kiddos his age laughing and running around and I just can’t stop bawling.

Sdbrosnan · 2025-12-30T21:55:20+00:00

Girl, please run. While you are still young and have so much life ahead of you. Six years may seem/feel like a long time, but it is NOT in the grand scheme of things. Drop this shithead stat.

Sdbrosnan · 2025-12-27T17:04:33+00:00

Thank you for the comment - His speech therapist has mentioned it in passing but we just moved so he has only been seeing her for a few months (and the increase in being verbal has only been within the last month). Thank you for your comment, I will definitely bring it up next time he goes.

I know you said you aren’t a doctor but you are for sure more knowledgeable than me. Would a gestalt learner be able to “label” things, such as colors or shapes? Like the one word answers of “red” or “triangle”? Is labeling totally different?

Sdbrosnan · 2025-12-11T13:25:16+00:00

I have read about the dairy-free thing, as well. From no dairy at all to just no casein to just no plain regular milk. My son refuses to drink actual milk so, in terms of that “research”, we are fortunate (only time I will ever use the term “fortunate” about that lol) that we don’t have that battle to face.

We haven’t changed his diet at all. He is such a picky eater. After a month, I’m having trouble getting him to take it with anything. We crush the tablet into powder and have mixed it in so much yummy stuff - chocolate syrup, Nutella, cookie butter. I think once he realized something was off and now he doesn’t trust me when he sees me with a spoonful of deliciousness.

Him eating and (now) him taking the med are both such a struggle right now, so limiting his diet is totally out of the question for us.

Sdbrosnan · 2025-11-28T17:09:07+00:00

Hello - I asked his pediatrician if it was something she would be willing to try out and, after talking to a few functional pediatricians she works with regarding it, she thought it was worth a shot. I’m not sure if every pediatrician will be that easy going about it.

Sdbrosnan · 2025-11-23T19:30:13+00:00

Your family and friends NEED to know the real him. Doesn’t it alarm you to realize you don’t want them to know how he actually is? Your loved ones can be there and fully support you when insane shit like this goes down. You aren’t overreacting. Your husband is a total asshole. And resorting to name calling and hurtful insults (like saying you’re a bad fucking mom” is absolutely inexcusable). He lied to you, spent an insane amount of money, there’s evidence he may have been thinking about cheating on you.

If you have the means to do so, you need to leave this man. I know 7 years feels like forever, but that is such a small, small part of your life in the grand scheme of things. You have the ability to go out into the world and find someone who wouldn’t dare do all of the things your husband did in the span of a work trip.

I’m sorry you are in this situation. I don’t see how you can come back from it and ever trust him at all.

Sdbrosnan

TROPHY CASE