Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello folks!
My brother is 41 and has just been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Since the age of 3 he has had behavioural problems. This has taken its toll on my Dad, Mum and me his sister. I had a nervous breakdown 20 years ago due to his behaviour and still bear the scars. On June 4th of this year my beloved father, a retired doctor, hurriedly packed a few suitcases and fled, with my Mum and our Labrador, to Scotland from England. I was with my fiancé in Glasgow when I got a desperate call from my father to say that they were at a motorway service station, fleeing for their lives from my brother. They took refuge with us. We provided a "safe house" for my dear parents. My Dad feared that my "aspie" brother would pour petrol through the letter box and they would be burned alive in their beds. He spoke to us about how best he and my Mum could protect themselves.
There is an army of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, RMNs, support workers and the list goes on ad infinitum of people who are devoted to caring for people like my brother. Who is looking out for us? Are we not the real victims of Aspergers? The police will only step in if we are assaulted. So we wait in our homes...to be attacked...murdered...annihilated...we don't know what awaits us but we wait.
i would be very interested to hear what this community thinks about our predicament. How do those with Aspergers feel when they read of our heartbreak? How do the professionals feel? What advice can they give us?
A final question...if there are any security experts reading this can they give us any tips on how to keep ourselves safe. I know I will never feel safe in this world while my brother is alive.
Kindest regards,
Anguished Sibling.
This is an upsetting and unsettling thread. Especially the 'are we not the real victims of Aspergers' bit.
I don't think that any person intends to be violent but fear and situations that we do not understand can lead to intolerable levels of stress which in turn can lead us to react with "irrational" behaviour.
I really feel for anyone who has gone 41 years struggling with autism on their own - not just because it has obviously had such a negative effect but also cause I've done it myself.
Having said that I am not a violent or aggressive person either and would hate to harm anyone. However I can appreciate that some "behaviour" could be seen as threatening in that it is maybe extreme. Extreme as in a plea for help?