Rage

While laughter is the best medicine, I have a hard time finding the humor in the rage that Monster Man seems to experience quite often. He'll go through several great days, with little anxiety and very few tics. Then he gets hit with days where he seems angry at the world. He isn't feeling well today, which is adding to the anger.

Some days, his anger is aimed more at his brother and sister. Most days, though, it seems like his anger is aimed more at me. I've heard that because I am his "comfort zone" (the person he feels most comfortable around, who he can feel free to tic around and who he gets the most comfort from when he's experiencing anxiety), he feels more comfortable expressing his anger to me. Sometimes I wish that he wasn't so comfortable expressing that anger around me because the attitude always comes out that he can't stand me. Yes, he's even told me he hates me (which is completely unacceptable) during these times of rage. Hearing the tone of his voice, the yelling, the spite, and the choices of words while he's so angry is not just upsetting, it's hurtful.

After he calms down, he always apologizes and comes to me for hugs, and then he starts to get clingy and seems to have developed another stage of separation anxiety, and he's the complete opposite of the child he was only a few minutes earlier. It's amazing how fast his attitude shifts.