Advice on sons meltdowns

[Chummybud1]

my son is 12 and has Dcd.

Lately he has been having complete meltdowns.
A few weeks ago he seen a trailer on tv for new land of apes movie, this led to him sitting with knees to chin rocking.
He now won't stay in a room with a tv on if the adverts come on
He is also having terrible nightmares.

Today we took him to cinema to see his first 3d film, before it even begun he was rocking, crying and shaking. He went in fine, but it all changed in a split second.

What do I do, really sad and frustrated.

Firstly, I'm not sure what Dcd is. What kind of support do you have?

It sounds like his anxiety is overwhelming for him and you. When you say the meltdowns are "lately", is this something that has just started or something that has re-surfaced? Can you think of any changes in his life atall that could have potentially triggered this?

I personally don't take my dd to 3D films. I would imagine that the trailers were also in 3D. I think it's just too intimidating to certain people who may have issues like our dc's.

Do you have help? Family or friends who understand?

Hi thanks firstly
Dcd is very much like dyspraxia, my son has been diagnosed with sensory issues. He is due to start high school and is stressed about that. Any advice how to get him through it

It's so hard. Any way to work out what is triggering the meltdowns? If the Land of the Apes film is bothering him can you get some books about chimps that are non threatening, see if you can slowly move on to a zoo visit. Sorry if that's impractical.

He is usually fine with fictional things like monsters, dragons etc and loves documentaries about wild life. The difficulties for him is when reality and fiction become blurred. In his mind apes could potentially take over the world because as he sees it we are genetically linked. He is much the same with end of world disaster movies, but he has never reacted like this. I think maybe getting books that show clearly difference between us and apes is a great idea.

There was a documentary on the making of the Planet of the Apes. It showed the actors and the costumes and how it was all made. Maybe if you could hunt that down then he could see it was man doing the acting and not the monkey so to speak.

I'd follow his lead and reduce the input of tv, ads, films etc so things which alarm him are well out of his way.

(Personally I feel sick at the very idea of 3D films.)

Take the rocking, shaking, crying, nightmares, split second changes in mood as signs that it is all too much. Keep his life calm and simple, no stress at all. Not only what you think are stresses, but whatever he finds stressful or responds to with these signs of stress.

Be his safe space :)

Thanks for all the advice, he starts high school in less than a week and I am real worried a real big melt down is on it's way.