Parent and carers of anxious teens(part 6)

[Stilllivinginazoo]

Another thread full!!
For anyone new,these threads started as my D's had crippling anxiety in year 8( and was later diagnosed ASD)now about to start 6th form in September we have been running this quite a while!
This is a safe space to discuss the overwhelm that can engulf us,seek advice and find friendship with others in a similar position.
Please note this is a non judgemental space and respect and care of each other is at the centre of what we are here for.
Whether you want to vent and run,or hang around a while,welcome!

Get well soon Zoo and Pokey

And Dark, I agree with the others, we've all been there! I think we all say things we don't mean when we are at the end of our tether.

Here things are in a quiet phase so I am just trying to enjoy it......

Wishing everyone a good weekend xx

Hope everyone is having a quiet and calm Sunday!
Thank you for the reassurances that we all lose it from time to time.
Last week was quite hard. On the day of the "I hate you message" DD decided to spend the night at her friend's after visiting her therapist who i think planted the idea in her head. I I really panicked but I also thought she needed to decompress. She did come home next morning and stayed off school.
I also spoke to her psychiatrist at camhs as I found a pack of unopened paracetamol in her room. The psychiatrist spoke to DD, who insists it was from September when she took the OD.
We also had lots of anguish over school and the subject she hates.
Finally, at the end of the week, school has given her the option of subject swap. I have mixed feelings about the amount of catch-up she has to do now it is not my decision.
DD seems slightly cheerful this weekend, and i will wait to see what this week brings.

Pokey and Zoo...hope you are both feeling better....its horrible to be physically unwell and mentally stressed!

Helpddgrow...I wouldn't worry about the mock...if anything, I am sure your DD has already learnt the lesson that cheating never helps in such situations. The anxiety itself is a valuable lesson for her..
One girl in DDs school cheated with notes in the actual GCSE and got caught too. Not sure what happened with her.
Students nowadays use AI for homework...they will soon realise it all catches up..
I often tell DD that any consequences of silly actions of hers affects her more from now on than me.
Of course, I will be disappointed but there is nothing more I can do.

Hope everyone has an uneventful week.
Xx

I hope all those felling unwell improve soon.

Dark I hope swapping subjects helps. Would DD be open to a tutor to help her catch up with the new subject? How is she getting on with the Fluoxetine? Things can worsen before they improve sadly. If the Fluoxetine doesn’t help DD could try another AD. DS1 tried 3 before finding one that helped.

HelpDDgrow the college must have and adhere to admission arrangements that are fair, objective and transparent. But because it is a college and not a sixth form in a school they are not bound by the Admissions Code. So even if the school tells the college, which is unlikely, it shouldn’t affect admission.

@DarkChocHolic I hope the subject swap helps but yes all you can do is see what happens. Hopefully, if she enjoys it more, catching up won't be so difficult.

@helpddgrow I agree that there is no point telling the school about the mock. If the school does find out I do not think that they would pass this on to the college as it is a mock and not the real thing. A good friend of mine cheated in an exam (this was 30 years ago) and was caught. The teachers had to inform the exam board, she was immediately pulled out of the exam and was not allowed to sit any further exams including for other subjects with that particular exam board. She was banned for life from that exam board which did affect what subjects she could then do later on. I thought it was pretty harsh but they took it seriously back then.

@1bounceforward2back

I don't know what to expect with the fluoxetine to be honest. I am not expecting a medical marvel that makes her super happy and engage positively at school.
It's been 3 plus weeks and she is on 20mg which the psychiatrist said is a low dose and she isn't planning on upping it.
On school days she is exhausted but yesterday she did a 9 hour work shift at weekend job.
I think its mainly the school and studies that upset her.
I honestly don't know if any drug can take that anxiety away.
This morning she seemed happy and this afternoon was really sad again. I was able to somehow drag her to the shops for a few bits and some retail therapy cheered her up.
Luckily she agreed to come with today. Normally it would always be a no!

With your DS1, what signs made you think the 3rd medication worked?
I don't think I will even know whether it works or not.

@DarkChocHolic Mirtazapine works (along with Risperidone - which is sometimes used in PTSD) by levelling DS1 out. It reduced the frequency of the rapid swings from high to low and back again, and the lows aren’t quite so low. It hasn’t been a miracle cure, especially at nighttime, but it has been worth it.

It has enabled DS1 to engage with life, education, and other therapeutic support. His self injurious behaviour reduced significantly. His communication improved - he was verbal but struggled to communicate due to anxiety and has SM, he still struggles but not to the same extent. His physical health and eating/drinking (has EDNOS complicated by a medical condition and has overnight enteral feeds) improved.

At the point of swapping to Mirtazapine, DS1 was attending a CAMHS unit as a day patient. It enabled him to get to a point where he was discharged from being a day patient at the CAMHS unit.

bounce that's a very positive story of D's and his meds❤️

I discovered we have COVID.marvellous
Dd2 is better now(dropped first) so she's full stress and expectant of me to help her cope when I went last so typically still nowhere near half power,let alone full,but having plod on I'm sure isn't helping me pick up
Is what it is I guess<shrugs>

@1bounceforward2back
Thank you! Much love to you best wishes to your DS.
What a journey you have had.

Oh zoo..sucks that you have covid.
Hope you get some time to rest and recover...

And DD took another OD......
I am gutted...

@DarkChocHolic I am so so sorry to hear about your DD. Just a hand-hold. We are here for you both. xxx

@Okisenough
Thank you!
Sitting here in A&E
Her levels are very high so we are going to be here overnight.
DH is away too...
She seemed cheerful this morning :-(

@DarkChocHolic oh my goodness, I hope you have someone with you. I wish I could give you a big hug. Will be thinking of dd and you tonight. xxx

@DarkChocHolic I am so sorry to hear that. How is DD now?

@Stilllivinginazoo I hope you feel better soon.

DD is asleep..we have a room in the hospital now.
The antidote medicine is ticking away...she took quite a heavy dose this time so we could be here all day tomorrow too..and then we will need to be seen by social services and crisis teams.

Thank you for the kind words...somehow feels better to know we are in other people's thoughts tonight.

Xx

@darkchocholic just caught up with thread- so sorry, thinking of you and your DD tonight.

dark just caught up with news(been bit chaotic here)
I'm so sorry my lovely
Sending huge hugs
I am literally popping head in and I'm off out,will check in briefly before lunch and again bit later this afternoon if you needed to offload/talk to us.xxxx

@DarkChocHolic how is dd this morning? I hope you got some sleep x

Thanks everyone.
DD seems fine and thankfully after 2 rounds of IV antidote, the bloods are ok.
We are now waiting to see the mental health teams...hopefully home this evening.
Thank you for holding DD in your thoughts.
We have a long road ahead but I won't worry about it tonight.

Xx

@DarkChocHolic that's good news x And yes don't worry about it tonight x

Glad news is good regards bloods
Thinking of you choc
Hope you get back to your own bed tonight

Wishing everyone a lovely and restful weekend. x

@DarkChocHolic thinking of you and dd x

@Okisenough
Thank you for checking in.
We are home but muddling through.
DD is under heightened support from home team...worryingly she still says she is sad to be alive.
We are looking at the priory for some urgent private help..maybe she needs to go in as an inpatient.
I am beyond broken....

@DarkChocHolic sending you a hug and a handhold. This sounds so hard. I hope the priory are able to help dd. xxx

darkchoc I'm so sorry lovely things are still extremely stressful
Sending huge hugs and remember we are here to listen❤️