Dysfunctional Stages of Adaptation (me)

Stimulus: Learn new information to integrate. (Current example: Michael has a mild tongue-tie.)

Response sequence:

• Panic, panic, panic! (Tongue-tie! Oh no, how terrible! It will ruin his life!)
• Self-recrimination. (How could I have possibly missed it, I'm an SLP? I'm the worst SLP ever. I'm the worst mama ever.)
• Online research. (ASHA: Tongue-tie is no big deal. Other sites: Tongue-tie is a big deal.)
• Additional panic. (It might be a huge deal. How will I ever decide? This is a huge decision...)
• Blog about it. Blog about it some more.
• Consult everyone who will listen for opinions (pediatrician, therapist A, therapist B, random family members, random casual acquaintances). Be swayed by the opinion of whoever is speaking at the moment.
• Begin to assimilate new information.
• Begin to calm the heck down.
• Gain some perspective.
• Realize that the initial sequence of reactions was, yet again, perhaps a bit over-the-top.
• Decide that the problem is probably not a problem.

The end.


Hmm...perhaps there is a better way?