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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

You don't make a child apologise for having a panic attack

58 replies

TechGinny · 12/06/2022 15:01

This is long, but I don't want to drip feed...
I share my three children with my ex-husband, who has them every other weekend and one evening a week for tea. He lives around 40 mins away and is in the process of buying a house further away with his new fiancée.

Our eldest suffers dreadfully with social anxiety and panic attacks, which were triggered by having to go to her dad's house for a long time, although this has improved recently. On occasion she's felt unable to go and stay there, and I've had to talk her through a panic attack over the phone many times as her dad just doesn't understand (or try to understand) her anxiety. There are other problems there as well, such as him getting her to help out with her younger brothers and then accusing her of acting too much like me, not making her feel heard and making all activities and films centred around what he and the boys want to do. He's told her that in the new house her bedroom will have to double up as the spare room for guests, which has made her feel like she doesn't matter.

This weekend she called me in the midst of a terrible panic attack, which had already been going on for an hour. This is the first time she and her brothers have been with their dad for 2.5 weeks, as he's been on holiday with his fiancée (they got engaged there, so this is very recent for the kids to get used to). They were at a family party for the fiancée's 40th birthday, so lots of people there. The party, combined with having been away from her dad for so long and the new engagement, was too much for DD to cope with, and triggered this panic attack.

Her dad's response was to get cross with her, and instead of taking her somewhere quiet to work through it with him, she had the option of staying in the open-plan house where everyone could see her, or sit in the car. She chose the car, where he carried on being cross with her, then closed the door and walked off with the keys, effectively locking her in (automatic locking).

When she called me in a terrible state, I knew I had to go to her as she'd already been suffering for an hour, but she didn't know the address beyond the city they were in. I called my ex, said was going to come to her and sit with her in my car until she was feeling ok again, and he refused to tell me where they were. I argued with him for a good 10 minutes, explaining that she wasn't doing this on purpose and had got to the point of needing me, until he finally relented and sent me the address. I drove to her, we sat in the car for a while until she was ok enough to go back to the house (as I knew she would with the right support) and came home.

She called me earlier and said that he dad has spoken to her today and told her that his fiancée was upset by yesterday and that DD needed to apologise. I'm absolutely disgusted that he could even think of making his own daughter apologise for her panic attack that she had absolutely no control over, and that he's laid the guilt of his fiancée being upset on her. I think that I need to speak to him about his whole relationship with our DD because he's running risk of damaging it irreparably, but I want to make sure I'm not being clouded by my protective love for her.

YABU - she should apologise for what happened

YANBU - she needs support and love, not blame, and he's wrong to make her apologise

OP posts:
WheresTheLambSauce · 12/06/2022 17:07

It sounds like he’s awfully stubborn and may well find a way to twist anything she does as an attack against him. As someone who also suffers with anxiety, I think it would definitely be best to cut down on those overnight visits. There’s nothing worse than being trapped in an environment where you feel mentally unsafe and are berated for symptoms you can’t control. It’s appalling that an adult is placing such a heavy burden of guilt on his 12 y/o daughter.

Would you say he creates a divide between her and her brothers? Is she a bit of a black sheep, in his eyes?

UndertheCedartree · 12/06/2022 17:08

I'm so sorry to hear this, your poor DD. I would definitely reduce contact as otherwise this could have a long term effect on her mental health. As for using her room as a guest room, does he not remember being a teenager? Teens need privacy. She shouldn't have the fear of people touching her things while she is not there. I totally agree with you, her dad can give his room up for guests if need be.

TeaWithFlorence · 12/06/2022 17:10

TechGinny · 12/06/2022 15:46

Yes, I'm going to make a GP appointment for her tomorrow and suggest to her that she stops overnights there for a while. I don't want her to feel like I'm stopping her from seeing her dad, but I hate her going there and being anxious and miserable.

Good idea. You will need to take the lead on saying she doesn't want overnights. If he causes a fuss she may cave in out of further anxiety.

stepuporshutup · 12/06/2022 17:18

Locking his 12 year old in a car because she has a panic attack is abuse.
It is also a criminal offence it is imprisonment.
On what planet did he or any of the other adults think this was acceptable?
I would be on to your Solicitor first thing tomorrow then social services then maybe the police.
As far as apologies go he needs to apologise and damm well mean it.
Your daughter must have been beyond traumatised omg I would have a panic attack locked in a car. He is a bastard report him no excuse for his behaviour I would not let her go there again if he wants to see her it is some where that she is safe and supervised by a responsible adult

Abitofalark · 12/06/2022 17:24

Having a panic attack isn't a trivial thing. It's absolutely serious, terrifying for the child and not a normal part of being a child. How old is she? Does she have any say in what is happening to her and about how this fear affects her and whether she would prefer to avoid whatever is triggering it?

Regardless of age, I would treat this with the utmost seriousness and as a child safety matter from the point of view of protecting her emotional and mental equilibrium. She should not be in that situation.

I don't think you can manage this on your own, given the circumstances and what / who you are dealing with, and would need to call in professional help. Perhaps start discuss with the GP, before going for a psychiatric intervention, explaining exactly what happened and not leaving out the attitude that an adult in whose care she has been has said that she needs to apologise. Words fail me at that.

Goonerz · 12/06/2022 17:24

HRTFT but read enough to know that he's a cunt.
Tell your daughter to stay away from him.

stepuporshutup · 12/06/2022 17:27

This

You don't make a child apologise for having a panic attack
PinkyFlamingo · 12/06/2022 20:51

I would be seriously scared locking her in the car when she was experiencing a panic attack will have caused her psychological trauma.

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