17 Comments
User's avatar
Gay J's avatar

Oh the pandemic! It has a lot to answer for in terms of kids' health both mental and physical. I know all about those hours spent online when I thought my son was doing school work and playing innocent games.

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Grandma Eileen's avatar

Your writing and storytelling are very good. Again, you left me wanting more. I almost am afraid as to what is going to come next, but I am trying to be hopeful that somehow there is a happy ending to your story. The doom and gloom are foreshadowing and the way your son is dressing and acting is rather haunting. We have seen so many of our children change and there was nothing we could do to stop it. The trans cult is an invisible evil force that pulls them away from reality, away from their safe haven, away from their loving parents. I will always and forever wish that my nephew did not get caught by this evilness, that he had been spared. Forever heartbreaking.

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Un-silent's avatar

It seems to me that no matter how a parent responds these kids end up the same, like some horrible Chinese finger trap. I pray this one has a happy ending, there has to be a way to break the demonic spell.

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Luc's avatar

Interesting you were referred to "Eventually, we were referred to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)" that it actually had the words mental health in the title.

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Anon's avatar

Yes…mental..so rare to hear

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Perry James's avatar

Where's the rest of the story? (Ah, below it says this is part 3.)

When this is all said and done, we'll all discover that there was a secret book that kids were passing around to each other entitled "How to Irritate Your Parents".

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Mercy's avatar

I went to your substack and read all the parts you posted. I gasped audibly while reading. I am so sorry. This could’ve been us. So much paralleled our story, but we never got a formal autism diagnosis, and our son eventually desisted. Hang in there, being the voice of reason, taking him outdoors and traveling with your family. Get the support you need. Our son did a semester abroad and that played a key role in his desistance. He still doesn’t have any friends, but says he’s happy and not lonely. He’s in grad school, working part time.

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Ruby's avatar

So happy that you and your family are ok, all kids are different, and this is the path he is going down. I hope he will see the madness of what he is doing but there are no guarantees.

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Mama Bear Proud's avatar

This is part 3 - I hope in a later part, we will hear he has desisted/detransitioned.

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Elena Kohn's avatar

This is very similar to our experience. Sadly. Our child is now on estrogen and is living life as if he is a woman.

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Ruby's avatar

I'm sorry, my son has started taking oestrogen too, he is home at the moment though, sending love and healing to you all 💜

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EyesOpen's avatar

"But it was beginning to feel like he was drifting somewhere we couldn’t quite follow." It is a deep, dark abyss, and I don't recommend following. I suggest being the light at the top of the abyss that he can reach for if he decides to. Stay tethered to reality, be a rock of sound, critical thinking, model a life worth living that is grounded in all that has purpose and meaning to you. Invite him to join you and then carry on living your life. He may decline or he may return to you and himself. There are no guarantees. Day by day.

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Ruby's avatar

Thank you that is what I'm trying to do 💜

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Anon's avatar

It’s hard. They can let go it seems, but we cannot. It’s such a one way street. I pretend I’ve moved on, but I absolutely haven’t, it’s impossible

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LoullyAnn's avatar

It’s such a strange journey. Our daughter who I think was in college or maybe just out of college when she started thinking about it, never said anything, just became more and more aloof, more and more withdrawn from us.

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Mama Bear Proud's avatar

Same with my son.

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LoullyAnn's avatar

I’m so sorry. It breaks a parent’s heart.

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