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Nicholas was one year old and had been in four foster homes when my husband, Tom, and I adopted him from Guatemala. We realized he might have problems but were eager to lvoe this little boy, along with four other children
It soon became obvious, however, that our new son had been severely wounded by losing one home and family after another. After six months of showing no emotion, he began erupting in bouts of angry screaming and violent behavior that worsened as time went on.
Deeply concerned, we began taking Nicholas to medical specialists before he turned three. It wasn’t until early last year, though, when he was five, that we received a diagnosis: Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), a serious psychiatric condition stemming from his early traumas.
As Nicholas saw it, adults could not be trusted to take care of his needs, so he had to rely on himself. Because of this, he could not bond with us or receive our love; he actually saw it as a threat and did all he could to keep…
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