Our homes are in utter disarray: broken toys and torn books, holes in the walls, heirlooms at the bottom of the trash can. We’re spit on, yelled at, hit, kicked, and sometimes worse. We endure hours of screaming and mayhem Every. Single. Day. We beg for help, but get criticized instead. We deal with crazy lying, poop smearing, and food hoarding. At night we sob into our pillow feeling as though we can’t bear another day. We are demoralized, frustrated, beaten down – and yes, we are angry.

People looking in from the outside have unrealistic expectations of parents who are struggling to raise kids who have developmental trauma. They seem to believe we should have an infinite well of patience, kindness, and energy. But that’s simply not reasonable or realistic. When our children flip out, they’re not the only ones who go into fight-flight-freeze mode. We do too. It’s a natural response to being physically and psychologically attacked. 

Of course, this may not happen to most parents, but that’s because their children have tantrums not rages. Picture the most calm, serene mother you know from church, the playground, or your child’s school. Know this – she too is only human. If she was struggling with what you are, she also would be on the very edge of sanity. Eventually she also would become angry too. It’s only normal.

As a fellow parent of a child diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), I completely understand your anger. However, after years of healing, I also have the benefit of hindsight. And here’s what I’ve learned: While anger is a natural response, it doesn’t serve you or your child well. And here’s why…

Your child feeds off your anger

Your child is likely unconsciously acting out of early hurts. They may have spent their formative years perpetual fight-flight-freeze mode and, as a result, thrive on the adrenaline rush of chaos. They crave control over a world they unconsciously perceive as unsafe and unpredictable. Knowing they can push your buttons gives them reassurance of their power. When anger rolls off you in waves, it bolsters the waves their anger has been building. Feeding off one another you can end up with a tsunami. 

It’s counterproductive with teachers, therapists, and others

It can be easy to let our anger fly at teachers, therapist, other parents – all the people who don’t understand and, as a result, make things worse. While this can be momentarily cathartic and feel well deserved, it ultimately does not serve us well. This is just the excuse these people need to label us as unreasonable and out of control. It also reinforces the perception that our child is merely the victim of bad parenting. Ultimately, angry outbursts undermine our credibility and it can be almost impossible to turn back that tide. 

It’s unhealthy for you

Prolonged anger can be deeply harmful to your psychological, spiritual, and physical health. Your blood pressure spikes, you over eat and can’t sleep properly. You may develop chronic health conditions or mental health problems. Anger can cause you to accidentally rear-end another car. You lose your ability to be rational. When you are already carrying such a heavy load, these health issues can be catastrophic and have long-term and lasting effects.

How to stop being angry

It’s not easy and there are no quick fixes. After all, you are living in a highly stressful environment with extreme challenges and relentless demands on you. This is why you must look for realistic ways to begin to reign in your emotions and feel good about small wins.

Here are some ways to begin: 

• Recognize your triggers and avoid them. Just like our children, we have our triggers and we can cope by avoiding or minimizing them. For example, maybe you’re triggered more easily when you’re hot, tired, and running late. Keep a snack in your purse and simplify your calendar as much as you can. If it sets you on edge when your child slams their bedroom door, install a slow-close hinge or strategically pad the door frame.
• Build your resilience. If you’ve been at this a while, you know it’s unlikely you’ll be able to change your child’s behavior – especially in the short term. What you can do is build your own resilience so you can tolerate more. For example, if your air conditioner is constantly breaking that extra heat may be stoking the fire within you. Repairing your air conditioner can be a pragmatic way to make it easier to cope. 
• Understand why your child acts the way they do. You can build greater empathy and patience by learning about developmental trauma and reactive attachment disorder. By understanding why your child behaves the way they do, you can often blunt your anger with compassion and you’re better equipped to grab for your therapeutic parenting tool box. 
• Seek treatment for your own mental health. It’s common for parents of children with extreme behaviors to develop PTSD. Find a therapist who can help you through this difficult time, even using tele-conferencing if that’s a way to squeeze it in. Also, consider asking your primary care doctor about options for anxiety and depression medications to help take the edge off. 
• Take care of yourself. Easier said than done right? Girls night out, date nights, and Zumba classes may be completely out of reach.However, you can use aroma therapy, DVR your favorite shows, and fill your social media feeds with encouragement. My favorite self-care is a chair massage at the mall (20 min, no appt necessary) and a non-fat Starbucks latte pre-ordered on my app and picked up through the drive through.
• Consider residential treatment for your child. It’s an unfortunate reality, but for some families a residential treatment facility (RTF) may be the best option. Consider RTF if your child is unsafe towards themselves or other children in the home. Remember, if you are at your breaking point, you are no longer able to effectively parent and RTF may give you some breathing space to recharge and heal. 

None of these suggestions are quick fixes or silver bullets. What they are is a way forward. This isn’t something you are going to resolve overnight. When trying to get your emotions, and especially anger, back under control it’s important to realize even small incremental improvements are a huge win. Do it for your family. Do it for yourself.