To be absolutely pissed off with DS not sleeping

[Starsinnightsky]

teen DS who has autism has hardly slept for 3 nights now. Keeps saying he’s “scared and worried” about something but won’t tell me what so nothing I can do about it. He’s only slept a few hours here and there. He’s been having meltdowns all night. I’ve hardly slept either as had to be up with him. I’m starting to get really pissed off with him to be honest. Both me and him are so tired and exhausted by this point and he’s still not telling me what is worrying him this much and I have no idea what it could be and until he does I can’t see him sleeping properly.

Maybe he's put something on social media and now regrets it?

Tell him you’re going to phone a doctor and try and get him admitted to a hospital if he doesn’t tell you

Terrible advice

Agreed. That'll scare the shit out of him and then what if he doesn't say? It's hardly a threat that can be followed through.

This might sound a bit weird. But this reminded me of my teen with ASD when he had his first erm, 'nocturnal emmisions' He was so terrified and thought I'd be mad at him. Even though I rarely get cross with him. He chewed over it for days.

Got to the bottom of it during the night, he just came out with it in the end. While what’s he’s done isn’t that bad (and it’s nothing that would involve the police etc) I don’t have a clue how to bring it up with the other person that it involves. I’ve promised him I’m not angry but I’m not sure if I can promise him that the other person won’t be just incase they are angry but they shouldn’t be.

What was it?

Thank goodness he finally told you. I've been thinking about you today, OP. I read your thread last night. My asd boy is nearly six and I can imagine our future like yours. We had some awful violent meltdowns for quite a period of time. Turns out at school one day he couldn't find his water bottle.
Best of luck OP

I'm glad you've got to the bottom of it. Ime you cannot make a promise that the other person won't be angry, because it's not something you can know for sure.

All you can do is tell your son that you are not angry and why. Then discuss ways of telling the other person and how you and your son can successfully deal with the fall out. I'd suggest your son looks at emotional literacy for further support in this area. It's something which is designed to support people in understanding their own emotions and reactions, but also those of other people.