11: “It was his Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria that broke me.”

Here’s the story we discuss this week: “My 17 year old, has undiagnosed high-functioning Autism, a high IQ, a history of school refusal, debilitating homesickness, anxiety and addictive behaviour; however, it was his Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria that broke me. I felt like my 12 year old and me were submitted to basic narcissistic abuse. As a mother, I feel he's done a rabbit hole and I have to wait if he ever comes out, hopefully unscathed. As a woman, I feel angry that gender stereotypes are relevant enough for him to want to annihilate who he is. As a human being I feel broken, empty, lonely, guilty and unable and unwilling to move on. For the sake of my 12 year old, I need to find a way to re-engage in motherhood. Any tips??” Stella mentions the Philip Larkin quote ‘What will survive of us is love’ which is taken from ‘An Arundel Tomb’: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47594/an-arundel-tomb