Acceptance | Montana's Peer Network

Daylight Savings Time, More Than Changing Our Clocks

March is daylight savings time when we turn our clocks ahead and gain an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. People look forward to this day all winter. But for some this change can be hard. Turning our clocks ahead means getting up in the dark. It takes our bodies time to adjust to losing an hour of sleep and getting up an hour earlier. Daylight savings time has caused me to think about change in general and how there are always upsides and downsides to change.

Watching Him Stim Through Life

As a parent of a nonverbal child with autism, our journey has been a tapestry woven with both challenges and triumphs. One of the most significant threads in this tapestry has been understanding sensory processing disorder (SPD) and its profound impact on my son. SPD is often found in children on the autism spectrum and manifests in various sensitivities and reactions to sensory stimuli. By sharing our experiences, I hope not only to advocate for my son but also to raise awareness and support others who are facing similar challenges.

A Call to Embrace Humankind

In a world that often feels divided by differences, it’s easy to forget the simple yet profound truth that binds us all: our shared humanity. Each day, we encounter many stories, experiences, and perspectives, all reflecting the richness of human existence. Amidst this diversity, one universal thread has the power to weave us together, kindness and empathy toward others who may appear different from ourselves.

Navigating an Autism Diagnosis as a Parent: A Compassionate Guide

Receiving an autism diagnosis for your child can feel overwhelming, but it’s also the beginning of a journey filled with hope, learning, and growth. As a parent, you may experience a whirlwind of emotions, from confusion and fear to relief and determination. Understanding how to navigate this new path will be filled with challenges but will eventually help you to provide the best support for your child and family. Here’s a compassionate guide to help you through this journey.

Therapy Awareness

Forgiveness should be a journey, not a destination. What I mean by that is, whether we need to forgive ourselves, friends/family, or people who have wronged us in our lives, that can be a very difficult task. That physical pain we felt, the emotional toll we went through, and the way our bodies grasped those feelings and held onto them tight, can feel like something you will truly never get over. The old saying goes, “Time heals everything.” Well, it sure doesn’t. The reason I say this is because over time, life keeps throwing us curveballs, or as experts, unlike myself like to call it, trauma. It starts stacking inside of us and piling up like deskwork in our brains. When this happens, we are walking through life with unresolved hurt inside of us, and then turn around and project it onto others. So, the very things that hurt us in the beginning, we are now doing those same things to the ones we love, friends, our children, etc.

A Different Perspective

In this article, I am going to give you a different shift in mindset with the upcoming “Prayers for Autism” awareness day. While I am sure the intention with this day was all in good nature, I have some thoughts…….

Parenting in Stages

For this month’s topic, “Parenting in Recovery”, I once again had to turn to my internet friend, Google. There are many kinds of recovery. Recovery from substance abuse or other addictions. Recovery from acute mental health events. Recovery from physical injuries. What does recovery mean for me? Google defines recovery as “a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength” and “the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost.” That last word, lost, is what I connected with. For many parents of children with special health care needs or behavioral health challenges, the expectation of what we envisioned for our lives and for our children is gone or changed, in a sense – lost.

Illustration of a girl holding a heart with rainbows and clouds around her.

In the Pursuit of Truth

Radical acceptance is like waking up in the middle of a dream and clearly looking at life for the first time. The reality of what I had created while I was asleep in my addiction was startling. The truth that I was unwilling to look at had built momentum, and the consequences of those choices were overwhelming. Recovery demands honesty; every courageous action forward balances authenticity and vulnerability. It meant I could no longer play the victim of life; I needed to be responsible for the life I could create with a willingness to work hard to heal and forgive.

What Would Great Look Like?

Here at MPN, all of the Peer Supporters, both in the Family Division and Recovery Division, are tasked with writing an article, or a blog, about the month’s topic. This month’s topic is Radical Acceptance. I had never heard this term before. Many of you may be in the same situation. It is to you that I share what I learned.

Reality and Acceptance

For most of my life, I avoided reality. At the time, I didn’t know this was what I was doing. I would have said I was helping or fixing or taking charge or being strong or managing. I felt that I was in control. I thought my tactics would move me forward, but, in fact, they did not. They kept me stuck. You could tell I was stuck by my often-used phrases of “This isn’t fair!” or “Why did this happen to me?” I constantly wished things were different, that I was a different person with a different life. My thoughts and reflections about life and myself included words such as “should”, “ought”, and “must.”

Tag: Acceptance