Thank you for taking the time to visit my site. Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) can be a very confusing, exhausting, and heartbreaking disorder to live with every day. Children who suffer from RAD will often go to very extreme measures to gain control over their parents, teachers, and family members. If left untreated, RAD can destroy even the most loving and stable of families.
I do not claim to be an expert on RAD, nor do I intend for this site to replace the advice of the professionals that you may be working with. I'm just a mother that has come to realize the importance of obtaining proper treatment for children with RAD. I want to reach out and let other RAD parents know that there really is hope for these children... and for their families. Sadly enough, it took six long years before somebody finally suggested that our son might be suffering from RAD. By that time our family was already in trouble, and extremely damaged. I almost gave up on my Little Prince because I didn't think that I had the strength to be the mother that he so desperately needed me to be. Our lives had become such an awful mess, and it seemed as if nobody really understood.
My goal here is to create a warm and friendly environment for other RAD parents. A place where parents can go to escape when life gets just a little too overwhelming. A place where you can always find a friend that will listen. A place where you can go to laugh... to cry... or even to scream if you need to. A place where you can share your hopes... your deepest fears... and your dreams for the future. A place where someone understands.
I'm going to take you along with me on an amazing journey. I'm going to introduce you to a rather unique King, who spends his days holding small children... talking into shoes... and performing miracles. I want you to walk along beside me and explore an entirely new world. A world that's filled with hope... and success. A world where Kings and Queens rule, and where a Little Prince can only dream of the day when he will be "The King."
Imagine yourself at an amusement park, and you've just taken a seat on one of the largest roller coasters in the park. The ride begins, and you ever so slowly begin that long steep climb to the very top of the tracks. When you finally reach the top, you hold on so tight that your knuckles turn white, and you begin to brace yourself for that first sudden drop to the bottom. From then on... you know that there's no turning back. Your heart starts to race... and all you can do is just hold on really tight as you brave the many twists... turns... and dips that lie ahead. At times, you can almost feel your heart drop into your stomach as your body is quickly turned upside down... and spun around in circles. Just when you think you can't hold on for much longer, you begin to feel the cars slowing down... and you can start to breathe a little easier knowing that the ride is almost over. When the roller coaster stops at its final destination, you breathe a big sigh of relief... smile... and congratulate yourself for not losing your lunch.
But... what if the roller coaster never came to a complete stop? What if it only slowed down for a short time and then began to make that long steep climb back up to the top again... quickly dropping you down to the bottom... sending you back through all of the same series of twists and turns... flipping you upside down until your stomach starts to churn all over again? Then... just as the roller coaster begins to slow down once again, and you can feel yourself starting to relax... and breathe normally... you are completely horrified to find that it's slowly beginning to carry you right back up that steep hill again. What if the roller coaster never stopped? What if the ride continued to go on for two... four... or even six years? Imagine living out your life on a giant roller coaster. Imagine spending every day of your life slowly climbing up steep hills, knowing that once you finally reach the top, someone's going to push you back over the edge... and send you spiraling back down to the very bottom again. Imagine waking up each morning knowing that you'll be spending your entire day being spun around in circles. Imagine trying to function throughout the day as your heart is being twisted and turned in every direction, and your world is constantly being turned upside down. Imagine trying to speak... or smile... while you're holding your breath. Imagine spending each and every day of your life riding a giant roller coaster... knowing that you may never reach your final destination. Welcome to the world of RAD!
I regret that I cannot personally answer each and every email...
but please feel free to share your thoughts, poetry, and short stories for possible publication here at TLP.
"TLP" is a family and they have supported me through so many difficult times.
I think I would have lost it if I didn't have this site.
-Ohio
"This site has been a Godsend to me.
It's such a relief to have people to talk to who you don't have to explain everythng to.
Hope you can find some comfort here."
-North Dakota
"TLP has been an invaluable lifeline for us. I read here at least daily, unless I am away on vacation.
Having a place to come where there are other RAD moms who truly understand is priceless."
-Pennsylvania
"I would have been lost many times without this site."
-North Dakota
"We have found this message board to be an invaluable tool. The wealth of experience here is unmatched.
Make sure you check out all areas of this website. One of the most wonderful tools available is TLP's Journal.
He presents his life to us in a way that makes us better understand our own kiddos."
-West Virginia
"This site has given me more support and information than I've received anywhere else,
and the support of other parents is invaluable."
-New York
Please don't forget to sign my Guest Book before you leave.
"TLP is the only free and useful help under RAD. Thank God for TLP.
I love TLP and am so grateful for all that I have learned from all of you, and for your support."
-Wisconsin
"I am very thankful for the information,the support, the kindness and the dedication of everyone here."
-Colorado
"TLP is my extended family, and a life line for 5 years."
-Ohio
"Suz, It is because of your unflagging support and the website that you created
that my family is still together after 6 years."
-Texas
"Suz, I admire that you have used hardship in your life to help others via this website.
You may never fully know how much of a lifeline it is to myself and other RAD families."
-Pennsylvania
"Suz, You have given me hope during those hopless moments, peace during the turmoil, and a glimps of light through the darkness!! So thank you so very much for being the you that you are and letting His light shine through!! "
-Arizona
"I know that anytime I need advice or just someone to listen, I can come here.
That alone makes my life much more tolerable!"
-Kansas
"You have taught me a lot through your writings and posts on this site. I can't say I have ever before lived with a child who disassociates and rages like this, and I have been able to apply a lot of things you share in your writings about your experience with TLP. So.... thanks for this site."
