Now your child is alone in his room. What’s going on for him? Mostly, intense distress. Your child is dysregulated, which means he’s feeling overwhelmed by the sensations in his body and he’s in a state of physiological threat (“This feeling is too much, I don’t feel safe”). His body has to figure out how to feel safe and secure again . . . but he’s alone without a trusted adult to help. Children who are left alone with intense distress often rely on one of two coping
