So proud of DD (there is hope!)

[TeenPlusCat]

When the pandemic hit, DD's anxiety went through the roof and depression through the floor. She missed all of y11. As her worst she would hardly go outside even just for a walk around our pavements, and developed a massive fear of being near strangers or anything else 'unclean'.

This weekend she has been able to view a town jubilee celebration from the edge, go to a country fair for a short time, and today try clothes on in a shop - these are all massive steps forward. We are so proud.

Medication, therapy, time, and an awful lot of patience (and heartache).

Best wishes to any of you still going through the worst of it. Keep hoping.

@TeenPlusCat yes he has a place at a specialist disability college. That was another battle but we are very pleased and hope it works out there for him.

Fabulous
Teen cat. That's a great achievement

So: Didn't pass her maths but has managed various days work experience over the summer and is sleeping better, doing a bit of English with me, looking after her guinea pigs.
Still no plan for next month, but getting there.

Ah sorry to hear that @TeenPlusCat but well done her for going to the exam. Have you considered doing functional skills instead?

The plan is FS English this year, and maybe maths too dependent on how it would timetable. I only want her at college 1 day a week really.

That sounds like a plan.

So, no college would take DD just to do English. LA EHCP person promised help but didn't deliver. Have engaged private tutor starting today.

DD is volunteering weekly at a kennels which is going well.

She is now back in her own bed finally after 3.5 years, not 100% consistent but mainly.

And in other news, I now have the energy to look after my own health and have lost 18lb in 7 weeks.

This is great news. Love this

Well done @TeenPlusCat you should be really proud of yourself. It’s really hard to prioritise our own mental and physical health when supporting children with mental health problems, I’ve felt totally overwhelmed this week. Glad that your DD is making some positive steps xx

Sorry you have been feeling overwhelmed, maybe next week will be better.

DD has been doing work experience one day a week since September. However they offered to pay her for the half term days, so yesterday she came home with her first ever pay cheque . Little steps, but progressing (even if the sleeping in her own bed has gone bit backwards.)

I have one of these. It’s exhausting isn’t it? Just waiting for EHCP assessment to happen.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow Remind me, what year group is yours? It can get better. My DD getting an EHCP in y12 made a lot of difference.

She would be in Year13

Bumping my own thread for another positive update.

Having had a year out, DD is planning to go back to college in September to do the Level 2 course following on from her previous Level 1s.

She is still doing weekly work experience, but also had some paid shifts over half term and she clearly has more stamina now than in October. I'm hoping she will get more paid shifts over the summer holidays.

She is on lower meds, and less frequent counselling sessions. Still anxious and gets down days, and lower stamina than your average teen, but way better than when I started this thread 2 years ago.

(Oh, and I have lost 5 stone in the last year too )

Such brilliant news @TeenPlusCat, am so pleased for you both and thank you for sharing a positive update, it really does provide comfort at times of struggle that things can get better. And 5 stones, wow! X

@TeenPlusCat
So pleased for you and your DD!
Thanks for sharing to give us hope.
Xx

That sounds fantastic, and your new found ability to look after yourself a bit too.

Gives me a bit of hope, we're on nearly four years out of school now, DD is ASD, on fluoxetine for OCD but has never been offered anything for the anxiety - did you have to push for that? Hoping to do maths and English GCSEs in college next year as evening classes, her sleep disruption makes it easier to do stuff in the evening than during the day.

@NImumconfused The fluoxetine has an anti anxiety effect, but the very first meds DD was given age 15 was propranolol for anxiety by a GP over the phone in covid.

Have you looked at level 2 functional skills English? It is more straightforward than the GCSE Eng Lang. Also the 3 parts can be sat separately and retaken individually. Shorter exams too. Might be a good interim step or confidence booster.

DD is with camhs, will ask next time we go if propranolol might be useful, but we're finding them not enormously helpful. We're out of immediate crisis mode, but don't seem to be making much progress beyond that.

We're looking at both gcse and functional skills at the moment, I agree with you she'd be better starting with fs, but she wants to try gcse so I'm just going with it for the moment.

Second day of return to college ticked off, after 14months out. Using the bus ok in the mornings which save me a 1hr round trip on previous years. Fingers crossed for it to continue next week.

@TeenPlusCat
Great news!
So pleased for you and DD.
Hope next week continues on the same positive spin.
Xx

Made it to half term.
Zero lessons missed due to mh.
Englush Functional skills level 2 result came through and she passed so no more English.
Bus travel going OK.
Such a change from 3 or 2 years ago.