My 17 year old daughter has suffered with depression and anxiety for a few years now and has been under the care of CAHMS and had counsellors over the years. She has social anxiety and finds it hard to make and keep friends. She has also gained a lot of weight due to totally comfort eating which is not helping her self esteem which is pretty much non existent anyway. She does have a boyfriend but even things there are a bit touch and go at the moment due to her very needy ways. She has no other real friends and relies way to much on her boyfriend which I can see is tiring him out as he obviously needs his own life outside of her, without her constantly messaging him. She relies on him to be with her at college\sixthform and has arguments when he wants to spend time with his friends, or she will just go off and sit in a park alone. Last night he nearly broke up with her and her reaction was horrifying. I have seen it before when her last boyfriend broke up her just over 18 months ago and she was on the verge or killing herself, I had the school call me to tell me that she was sat with a bottle of bleach ready to drink. It scares the life out of me and I know we need a big change in our family. I have 3 daughters aged 15-17-18 and their dad left nearly 2 years ago in a very nasty manner which has also effected all of them. I guess what I am asking is for some advice on how to change this daughters outlook in life for the positive. She hates herself, thinks she is ugly, thinks she fat, thinks she a failure, thinks she is unlikeable. The truth is, she is a beautiful (stunning in-fact) very caring and kind young lady. And yes I tell her this all of the time. Out of all 3 of my daughters she is the one who has the most compassion and empathy and has a way with her that family always seem drawn to her. She can be stubborn and I have a hard time getting her to understand how she is pushing people away and not letting them in, hence the lack of friends. She seems zero'd in to making this little bubble with her boyfriend that no one else is allowed to penetrate. I really want to find ways to build her confidence and change her outlook to a more positive one. She needs to know that her life is worth living, that there are things to look forward too, that she has so much she can give the world. I do try to tell her this but I need tools now that will show her this to be true and I honestly don't know where to begin, although I am about to embark on the power of attraction with her, starting with a list of gratitude and all things that make her happy. I have also been looking into fitness classes in the evening that all 3 of my daughters and I can attend, but the cost is an issue. Any other advice would be so gratefully appreciated as I live away from my family, 200 mile, and since their father left I have zero support and not a single person I can turn to near to me. I often blame myself for how she is as I too have depression and in the last couple of years have become quite isolated myself. Monkeys see monkeys do and all that. Thank you if you managed to get to through all of this. x
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How to help a 17 year old in deep depression state
26 replies
Sophionaliv · 02/03/2018 13:46
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