How do I help my son feel love

We have established that my son can  feel loved by  me  saying it in words but  he doesn't feel anything if you try to give him a hug. He says he feels like that if he can't even feel that emotion with his own mother then he is doubtful he will feel it with anyone else ie why should he bother to make friends when he doesn't feel anything. I noticed him stroking  his dog and saw what looked to me like a exchange of affection and I thought how maybe it's easier for him to feel that love with an animal as opposed to a person..I say this as I'd watched a true film about a boy with aspergers who could not connect with the mother but made a connection bond with a whale and this was because to do with the fact they emit some kind of frequency in noise. At this point I would do anything to be able to share that love with my son which I have always felt for him but he has never been able to have that common ability to feel it back and it breaks my heart because realy that's all that realy is and above all else the most wonderfull thing to feel as a human being is loved. I'd like to say to him let's go swimming with dolphins or horse riding in the hopes this could be the same for my son what it was for the boy in the film ..but he would like turn round to me and say no i won't do that why would I go and do that etc..ie its very difficult to get him to be open to these things. He says he does not feel any kind of emotion when he's hugged etc it sounds like nothing but it realy isn't nothing as its actually heartbreaking that he can't have the most common thing in this world which is love. I'm annoyed at system as he was diagnosed late and whole thing was a sh#! show he never got help he needed and if I'd have known this in his infancy I would have been able to introduce ideas to him as he'd have been more open to it whereas now its too late he is 22.

Parents
  • No amount of "help" would change this because your son's sensory system is his sensory system. He was born with it and will die with it.

    I am so sorry you are feeling this way. I am an older autistic woman and I think you are voicing what my mother would have said. All I can tell you is the more you hanker for his hugs as a manifestation of his love, the more you will hurt. I rejected my mother's hugs too - they were horrible and I didn't like her smell. But I understood she loved me.

    However, your son DOES feel love and does love you. You said yourself he knows he is loved when you verbalize that. You need to accept his love on his terms. He DOES feel it, although he may never demonstrate that as you would wish.

    If it's any consolation, I have had other loving relationships. I adore my son. I have obviously had loving sexual relationships albeit I do not like to be taken by surprise by hugs from anyone. I do like deep bare hugs from the right people on my terms or they can be horrible.

    Some autistic people never have or want romantic relationships and are asexual. Others are highly sexed. Your son needs to live his life his way given his sensory system. But whether he ever hugs you or not, he does love - as evidenced by his affection for animals. And his love expressed his way needs to be seen as valid and valued.

    Most of all, for you, know you did nothing wrong and that you too have loved with all your heart.

  • Yes we have an understanding that love is there. I was more concerned that he would never feel love in his life ie when or if he ever gets girlfriend or friend etc etc but the fact you have said that you did and have felt that with partners and your child is hopeful . Thankyou for your reply it makes me realise that just because you might not feel certain feelings with one person doesn't mean you may never feel them.

Reply
  • Yes we have an understanding that love is there. I was more concerned that he would never feel love in his life ie when or if he ever gets girlfriend or friend etc etc but the fact you have said that you did and have felt that with partners and your child is hopeful . Thankyou for your reply it makes me realise that just because you might not feel certain feelings with one person doesn't mean you may never feel them.

Children
No Data