Anxiety meds for 16yo

[anw76]

I've just been to the GP because really not coping with dd - she's 16, recently diagnosed with ASD, severe anxiety/ debilitating OCD type behaviours & meltdowns where she hits herself, we've been walking on egg shells for months.

Anyway, I've been put back on anxiety meds (Sertraline) which I'm going to take because I don't know what else to do, but it's so frustrating that she can't be prescribed anything. CAMHS say she has to engage with therapy before they try medication. She's been having CBT with them which she hates and which seems to cause more meltdowns if anything. She's so distressed so much of the time, it just seems mean that they won't even refer her to a psychiatrist. I think because she isn't suicidal or self harming she doesn't tick the right boxes (although I would say hitting yourself is a type of self harming). It just seems crazy that I can walk into a GP and get medication when my mental state is nowhere near as bad as hers.

So I wondered if anyone had any tips on how to get CAMHS to consider medication? Or how long you have to try therapy first. I think because she has ASD then CBT is less likely to work and she finds it so distressing it is hard to make her keep going. Thanks

We saw a psychiatrist privately, who prescribed the required meds, and then wrote to our GP / CAMHS to ask them to continue prescribing going forward.

Thanks @Shufflingby I was wondering about this, but I don't even know how to start finding a private psychiatrist for kids, how did you find one? And was it really expensive? I also feel guilty for trying to get my daughter onto meds but honestly don't see anything else helping at the moment, she's got so many different struggles that she can't think straight to deal with them individually.

Hello, sorry for the late reply. You should be able to find one through Google. Yes it was expensive (£350 for the consultation I seem to remember). It was a very good thing for my daughters - they would have been unable to function without it. Please don't feel bad, it's a kind thing to do for your daughter.

@Shufflingby Please could I ask what medication your daughter was prescribed? My daughter has an anxiety disorder and is barely attending school. It’s completely debilitating and I’d really like her to try medication. She’s having counselling and has also tried hypnotherapy but nothing is making any impact. Her GP agrees with me but isn’t licenced to prescribe anything as she is under 18 (she’s 17). We have a (private) appointment soon. Thanks

@anw76 I hope you get the help you need for your daughter. It’s all so frustrating. It looks like you might have to go private as the CAMHS waiting list is so long. There was no point for us even trying as it would be quicker to wait for her to turn 18.

We found a private psychiatrist via The Priory. Iirc it was around £350 initially, but then there were followups too. Meds initially private but when stable they were handed over to gp to prescribe on nhs.

DD was prescribed fluoxetine (and also propranolol and melatonin). 4 years or so on she is much better (having therapy too) and on reduced doses.

.... DD needed the meds in order to be well enough to access therapy. She missed y11 entirely.

Private psychiatry route. If I had stayed waiting for CAHMS my 15 year old daughter would still be trapped in her room with agoraphobia! At 18 she is about to go on holiday with her friends to Croatia.

@decionsdecisions62 thank you so much for that response, at the moment it is hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel, so it is really nice to hear about positive outcomes!

Under a slightly different name I have a thread on this board called something or other 'there is hope' which records my DD's improvement over the last 2 years.

I would definitely go private as well. My DD had a psychologist before she started taking meds, but the medication put her in the right headspace to actually start implementing some positive changes.