What would you do?

[GhostlyAbode]

I have posted about DD before and her temper tantrums.

The background is she has dyspraxia, is about to be 13, has always had a quick temper and major tantrums that often include toddler style kicking and pinching and throwing of things.

Last night she had such a meltdown ( in my opinion caused by extreme tiredness, PMT, hunger and too much iPad). But this time she admitted that she had 'tried to kill herself' as we were such bad parents. On further discussions she had used a table knife on her wrists and had two marks but it had been blunt so no actual damage done. She admitted her motivation was more about wanting to upset me than her not wanting to be around anymore.

My DH thinks and always has that she needs to see a psychiatrist and in his words has something wrong with her. After her last meltdown and some advice on here I took her to the gp who was as useful or as concerned as a chocolate teapot.

So my question is doe the 'suicide attempt' change things. Do I need to get her to see someone? If so medical or counsellor? Should this addition to her usual tantrum pattern alarm me and if so by what degree?

[TeenAndTween]

Personally, I think that 'trying to kill herself' whether real/pretend is a cry that she's not OK.

I would try for a referral to CAMHS, but the waiting list might be long.
If you can afford it, some private counselling might help her, but it's not cheap, my (as it happens dyspraxic) DD1 has been having sessions since Sept but it's £70 a go!

[TeenAndTween]

But what do I know really!

[GhostlyAbode]

As much as the rest of us!!! Do you think the dyspraxia effects their emotional life too?

I do as I'm sure all the planning and sequencing stuff must influence the logic and reason side of emotion. All the help we have had so far with her has been physical or occupational health and all that stopped when she started secondary school.

I'm just out of my depth I think.

[TeenAndTween]

I think that counselling is unlikely to cause harm, and at least then you can feel you are doing something.

My DD (age 17) is rubbish at planning ahead, thinking through consequences etc. In so many ways she is a 17yo body, 13yo thinking skills, wanting to act 25. But she has other issues too (she's adopted) so always difficult to untangle causes for things.