Triggered Emotion

Tonight I had to work a bit late because there was no production at the plant on 2nd shift.  I had to get everything put away and finish up as fast as possible.  I do not wish to work any overtime.  8 hours is enough working in the factory.  Get to work, do the job and get the hell out.  Done and done. 

It seemed like a long drive home after work.  Maybe it felt like that to prepare what was coming when I got home.  I pulled into the driveway and my wife was putting the kids into the other vehicle.  Dane is a basket case. "The house is trashed."  Says my wife.  "We're going to your dads."

The kids are loaded into my vehicle and Dane gets more upset that he's not in the black vehicle.  We get them out and I get down on my knees and ask Dane if he needs squeezes.  He says "Yes."  I rub his back and give him tight hugs and press down on his shoulders.  I tell him that he will get through it.  It seemed to help.  I don't know what it is other then it's the sensory input he needs to calm down.

Lately Dane has been having some pretty unbelievable meltdowns.  The last one was over the weekend when we went to visit my sister.  Grandpa and my sister left to go to the store.  Dane didn't notice they left, until they got back.  Then it started.  He wanted to go to the store.  He stormed off and down the road.  He has no idea where we are.  We start off after him and he is far ahead of us.  I run to catch him.

Finally we catch up to him and try to turn him around to walk back to the house.  He screams bloody murder and that he's not going back.  He wants to go to the store.  He runs ahead of us back to the house and then curls up into a ball on the ditchline.  I try to pick him up but he screams and kicks at me.  He notices his cousin, Alex, back at the house and runs back meet him.  What just happened?

I ask my wife later tonight, "What set him off?"  She says, "Nothing."  I say, "Something had to set him off?"  She said he woke up from his nap and wet himself in his sleep.  "There ya go."  Normally we have to put a pull up on him when he naps and when he sleeps at night to prevent an accident.  On that note, either wake him up earlier from his nap or let him sleep longer but don't forget to put training pants on him.  He's fully potty trained except for cleaning himself and wetting when in a deep sleep.  If I happen to wake up in the night I try to drag him to the bathroom to release and he usually will wake up dry.

The sad part about all of this emotion is that Dane wants to be normal but he just can't control this part of himself.  I remember asking him what was wrong during this episode and he said that he didn't know.  He's so upset, over nothing, and can't calm himself down.  It hurts me to see him like that.  One minute he's happy and playful.  Next, he's a train wreck with emotions and can't control himself.  It's like walking on eggshells with him.