Joe, please advise when you get a chance.

Well, you successfully have helped every memeber of my family as well as my cat (th arnica wetdose was just what she needed.)

I have a major challenge and I pray that you have a solution.

My step son has been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder because his biological mother that he is not allowed to see drank heavily with him while she was pregnant.

His major symptoms include:
*Very immature impulse control
*rage attacks
*tantrums
*hitting/punching kicking when frustrated
*lessened cognitive ability
*inability to comprehend cause and effect
*disrepect for authority
*invasion of boundaries
*violence and threats of violence


My biggest concern is that he will seriously hurt someone else when in a rage attack, which can be brought on from even the slightest annoyance if he is over stimulated by a stressful day.

We are working on making sure we reduce his stressors, but even if the rage attacks happened mildly frequently, they are not acceptable and I have genuine fear of his violence because in a couple of years, I won't be able to hold him while he does them.

Just last night he was terribly upset because I asked him to come out of the room and screamed no. I counted to three for him and he wouldn't, I went to go get him myself, as you would a toddler, he began to run away from me throwing things around my other children. During this running, is when his rage got huge.

You are not supposed to restrain these children, just redirect them, but I was inacapable of doing that and he was being extreemely violent, so I put him on lap and held him very calmly. I kep repeating that we don't hit, we are nice to eachother. I explained over an over that he could get off my lap when he had control over his body. The entire thing lasted about a half hour. AT one point he yelled at me, 'If you don't let me down, I will get a knife and kill you.'

He's only five years old.

He doesn't witness violence. I am not violent towards him. No one is. We don't have knives accessable of course, but the threat was frighteneing enough to come to you and ask for help.

I want him in my family. I want us all to feel safe. I worry that in a couple of years when he's stronger, he will be one of those boys that end up in a group home, and he is very inteeligent, just brain damaged. I don't want that for him. I love him very much. This is not his fault. He is brain damaged.

He has a slightly smaller than normal cerebellum and he has synapse problems in his right temporal lobe.