I wasn't aware there is any medication for autism - what is she on and for what reason?

Recognizing that you have been neglecting yourself is half the battle. I know where you are coming from and it's a hard place to be in with a aspie child. My husband is also an aspie so I put myself into a position of doing EVERYTHING. You need to take care of yourself or you can't take care of anyone else. I have been forcing myself to get involved into activities at church and with craft groups for the last year and it's helped so much. Take the time, not the guilt. There is nothing to feel shame about when you need time for yourself.

You might also look into getting some help for depression. I was deep in a depression when I realized what I had done to myself for the sake of my family. Getting on some meds helped so much. It was hard to admit that I needed the meds, but in the long run it was better for myself and my family.

God is always there if you need someone to talk too! He can help you. He's made a huge difference in my life.

You can message me anytime if you need to vent to someone who understands.

I agree with diewowdie.

Yes, I have felt what you are experiencing. I didn't realize it until I went for counseling for stress, which at the time I was chalking up to work stress. Work stress was actually a minor part of the overall stress I was experiencing and the depression I was stuck in. It is difficult to see the positives of a situation when you're exhausted. For a parent, there are a lot of parallels to the grieving process when you come face-to-face with your child's diagnosis and all that impacts and entails. As a parent, you start off with your own set of dreams, plans, and expectations for your children. Asperger's/autism can mean some of those dreams never get realized, which as a mom really hurts. We grieve for those dreams. At the same time, we still have to keep everything going. It's a rough road.

My advice, and I really hope you will take it, is to get counseling. It will help you understand and untangle the emotions you're going through and what you can do about it. Sometimes it helped me just to be able to talk to somebody about it who didn't have a personal stake in it, too.

Asperger's/autism is not the end of the world, nor is it the end of your own identity. It will change the road you and your family are on - some things will be easier, others harder. Is your daughter getting counseling? It helped both my sons and it also helped our relationships.

Hope today is a better day for you and that this helps. Hugs...

Thanks so much for your post. While my son's asperger's is mild and he is very high functioning I still feel like a failure as his mom a lot of the time since it just seems like we're always stuck with the same issues----trouble making friends, teasing/bullying, coming home and isolating in front of the t.v. or computer, not wanting to be part of after school activities, etc. etc. And yes it is very hard to take care of ourselves when our kids are not okay. I don't do things for msyelf much either although some times I do let myself read a book. But as far as projects I would like to pursue such as scrapbooking or watching an occasional "chick flick"----it's not happening very often. Maybe we should all start taking more time for ourselves and send the kids to grandma's house. :)

I battle depression too, so we all share that component as well.

My son has aspergers & it's been hard on me too. But I made time to go out w/girlfriends for a drink just to talk & laugh about everything. Sometimes it's hard to hear them talk about their children that get all A's or are captains of sports teams....etc. But, believe me no one has the perfect child.....one of my best girlfriends has a son that just got arrested for some stupid offense & his name & address was posted in the newspaper. I look on the bright side.....I know my son likes to stay in & interact on our home computer, so I doubt I will read about him in the police log. Try hard to get out....take a cooking class or join a local club or even a book club. You will be glad you did....because a 14 year old can stay home alone now....so go out & have a cocktail or two....laugh with friends.....it will make you a better mother!!!

I don't know what medication the poster's daughter is on, but Abilify and Risperidal were recently approved for "irritability" associated with Asperger's/Autism, and Geodon gets used off-label.

Hummingbyrd, Powerful meds, if you're daughter's on one of them, please be careful and watch for side effects. My friends's son is on Risperidal for seizures, and doing fine on it.

Y'all are making a lot of assumptions about the OP and her child regarding medicines and should probably stop that thought track.

She didn't ask about that anyway.