DC thinks they're being controlled WTF

[frustratedgirlmum]

Hi,
My DC who is 13 is under the impression they are being controlled by an entity inside their mind. They have not disclosed the name of this entity but lives in fear of it and says things like...

• 'I can't do this or [the entity] will hurt me.'
• 'I'm not safe around [the entity]'
• 'Please help me, I'm in danger because of [the entity]

They also cycle through processes of loving and hating this entity. It all seemed to begin happening around their 13th birthday last year - they now spends huge amounts of time talking to themself (or the entity). I think this entity is like an abusive partner/something abusive; they can't remove themselves from it but has been very, very since it came into the picture. We've tried all kinds of therapy, nothing works, they don't try, refuses medication, I'm really not too sure what I'm supposed to do now. I've been worrying it could be schizophrenia or something worse and keeping myself up at night because of it but I'm just terrified to face that reality... I sometimes think I'm unreasonable for thinking that way/ Looking for advice/hand holds and also WTF!!!

I feel so much for you and your child. I have experience of this with my husband, he had the exact same symptoms and was diagnosed with psychosis, but he had immediate involvement from the Early Intervention Team who kept him very closely monitored and medicated.
But I'm presuming things are treated differently when it comes to a child. My son has been waiting to access cahms for a year and we've not even heard from them.
My only suggestion I can think of is you take her to a&e

Agree with others I think the disconnect between NHS & various different private bodies could be making this a disjointed story.

I’d really say you need to be seen, ASAP, by a psychiatrist. I have a friend who became like your daughter in school, she was really failed by the system and only got real help when her “inner voice” told her to jump off a cliff. She did jump off a cliff, she was incredibly lucky to survive that, and it was only when hospitalised afterwards that she really started to get the support she needed. She got really lucky.

The ability of anonymous posters on Mumsnet to diagnose serious mental health issues with limited useful, clinical, information will never cease to astound me. Munchausens is notoriously difficult to diagnose, so the fact that you’re managing to do that from behind a screen beggars belief really - at best it’s ridiculous, at worst dangerous. What if the child is really, seriously unwell and her parent chooses to ignore it going forwards on the basis of your internet advice of it being attention seeking?!

OP, I’m not sure what you meant by posting here but you’re going to get what you need from consulting with mental health professionals, who it sounds like you’ve already engaged with. No 13 year old exhibiting symptoms that even might indicate psychosis/early onset schizophrenia etc etc will ever be ignored.

My brother has schizophrenia..definitely seek medical help asap

Has your DC seen a psychiatrist - they should really be referring them under CAMHS, which is obviously oversubscribed, but I would find this very concerning as a parent having DCs with their own struggles, esp one who can show tendencies of psychosis. You need to push for help - the squeaky wheel gets the results. It sounds like your DC needs more than therapy - there's a lot going on there.

Nowhere did I suggest this child was displaying symptoms relating to munchausens.

This doesn't half sound like a psychiatric emergency to me. She needs intervention now. Not when she gets to the top of the waiting list. Is there a crisis team you can call? The adult team may be able to signpost you.

If you can afford to go privately OP, you need to take your child, tomorrow, to a psychiatrist. You cannot afford to wait while someone hears voices. You should tell them exactly what you have written here.

Psychiatrist here.

A 13 year old with possible psychosis would typically be seen within two weeks (if referred to early intervention).

This sounds very much trauma-based/emerging personality but complex nonetheless and you would get much more joined up care with the NHS than by picking individual private providers who don't tend to take an MDT approach. An Early Intervention Service would be best placed to assess and monitor, and they don't come privately.

Sorry but it does sound like she does have schizophrenia which can appear during adolescence and sounds like she needs meds for psychosis. I'm with others in that she needs an urgent referral to CAMHS and would be firm with pushing for it. There are emergency admissions to CAMHS and it sounds like she needs that before it escalates.

As a psychotherapist, I certainly would not be taking this child on unless they had been fully assessed by a psychiatrist. While therapy may help, in some cases, it's not the best approach, or certainly needs to be combined with other interventions.

as other have said OP, this definitely needs psychiatric assessment. It is unlikely that a heavy diagnosis will be made at such a young age, and even though your child is displaying these worrying symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that they have, or will develop psychosis. For example, OCD can be associated with these types of internal voices, as can eating disorders etc, so they are not unique to what we think of as psychosis. It is important to get you child properly assessed by an adolescent psychiatrist though.

as others have suggested, if you can get in (& you should, based on what you have shared), cAMHs will give the best joined up approach - probably not perfect, but joined up none-the-less

Very very young to be diagnosed with that. Infact I’m not sure they would be old enough at 13

As another mental health professional has pointed out, many conditions can present in a similar way, including trauma, OCD and other anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders etc. Schizophrenia in this age group would be incredibly rare - I've worked in mental health services for many years, including with this age group, and they simply don't dole out life-changing diagnoses like that to 13-year-olds because so much can change.

The OP barely mentions the school being remotely engaged.

And I’m surprised because if she’s the same at school…. Most schools would be very very involved because the amount of disruption she’ll be causing in class would be extensive

And? How’s it actually been left with them all?

You mention violence

Has she been violent with you / siblings / classmates?

Waiting lists can be very long but more serious cases are prioritised. If the GP and school keep pressing and there is a concern re harm to self or others CAMHS should prioritise. I think they would prioritise emerging serious mental illness. It depends on the GP stressing the severity .

This.

You are describing symptoms that my Mum used to get.

She had textbook schizophrenia although it started later than 13.

Back then the medications were brutal but I understand things are better now and you are right about the heredity of it.

I chose not to have kids but my brother and sister have both had DC and the tendency is def there.

@Organic82 No, only violence to herself/threats of violence.

I think it was this part. ”sounds more like Munchausen syndrome and attention seeking.”

I would be very insistent with the GP that they push the CAMHS referral and with the school that they back it up and contact the early intervention team. I agree with the people saying that the NHS service with all the back up services they can access is going to be the most helpful here.

I think the poster was aiming that at the mother for some reason

If she was it was a very stupid remark.

As someone who has been through psychosis this sounds similar to what I experienced. Its definitely a problem beyond therapists and you absolutely need a psychiatrist. They'll be able to diagnose your dc and sort medication.

I truly couldn't have gotten better without the support the my local early intervention in psychosis team. In my area they see patients from 12 I believe. So it's worth looking into if there's a team in your area. It's NHS but they could be a great help alongside a private psychiatrist. You really do need experts in psychosis to get you guys through this.

Threats of violence to herself?

Does she have a siblings op?