22yr old daughter - was it a breakdown?

[blcakgaragedoor]

Very dramatic night last night. We found 22yr old daughter wedged between her wardrobe and wall about a 30cm gap.

She was sobbing uncontrollably and telling us the room was too big and too bright. Saying everything was wrong and moved (it wasnt). The room was exactly as she had left it before dinner.
I Couldn’t get her to stop crying. She said she couldn’t feel anything and was just spiralling.

eventually we put a sleep mask on her eyes and took her to the tiled bathroom with the window open to cool down and breath fresh air.

we got her calmed and centred again and managed to get her back to her room were she slept on and off all night.

she’s very with drawn this morning and I tried GP. But no appointments left. So I’ll have to try again tomorrow.

she is 3rd year at Uni and has emailed to say she is staying off today. She also works part time in retail. She has Crohn’s disease and takes biological injections weekly for that. She is in remission at the moment thank god.

I feel like she has had a breakdown. Like she is exhausted or full of anxiety.

I do not know how to help her. Please can someone tell me how to help her.

thank you.

You’re doing all the right things 🩷 Keep talking, and keep helping her regulate her overwhelm when it occurs. The GP is a good idea.

She’s obviously super stressed. Maybe she needs to drop the job for a while until her degree is finished? Could she afford to? Sounds like she’s coping with a lot.

Oh love - no wise words here just couldn’t read and go past. I’m sure you’re very worried and it does sound like a mental health crisis to me. Has this ever happened before?

I can’t help but I’d like to say I read that and thought ‘what a wonderful parent’. Using the sleep mask was so clever and thoughtful- she’s lucky to have you!
Hope you all get the help you need.

Definitely a MH crisis

I'm not entirely sure actually who we would call

I think waiting for a bloody GP appt seems ridiculous in this instance because she needs immediate support

I’d call 111 for advice as you’re unable to see GP

Oh flip thanks for the positive words. I’m lost I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before and it’s bizarre to me.

im afraid of saying the wrong thing.

This might actually be a physical issue rather than a mental health issue. Alice in wonderland syndrome can happen as a precursor to an epileptic seizure. She needs to see a doctor.

"What is Alice in Wonderland syndrome?
Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a rare condition that disrupts your brain’s ability to process sensory input. The disruption affects how you perceive the size of things you see around you, the feel or look of your own body, or both. It can also distort your sense of reality."

Did you tell the GP surgery what had happened? I agree phone 111 if no luck with GP.

Does uni have a wellbeing service? If so let them know and they may be able to help her especially if any of it is related to her course, but also for advice.

I’ve read a little about the Alice in Wonderland syndrome and it sounds exactly like what she’s saying. She said sometimes when she come out of uni she feels for her car keys on her bag and they don’t feel like her keys. Or she feels like she’s wearing someone else’s shoes. Or she feels old she is no longer Claire (name changed) walking to her car but like she’s watching someone else walking to the car.

I’m not sure where you are from- but 111 then option 2 puts you through to mental health professionals, I’ve had to use this service for my brother and found then excellent. It’s not something I usually talk about but I had a breakdown in college, and to have parents as involved and kind as you would have been incredible- I think you did an amazing job last night. Sensory wise cold tiles under feet, and breathing in cold air hugely helps me when I have an anxiety attack. I’d go down the 111 route and aim to access the nearest mental health hospital for support. I wishing your daughter all the best

I wouldn’t focus on a particular thing ie the Alice in wonderland stuff

just explain what happened and let the experts assess the situation based on the facts relating to your DD

and I agree she needs to contact her uni who will support her

Thank you. We are going to go with her to GP tomorrow morning we are in NI and I’m not sure we Have 111.

I’ve asked her to contact Uni student support but she is not in a place to do that yet so I’ll ring them tomorrow morning and ask for input.

she’s exhausted today. She keeps asking does this make her a weak person. I’ve pointed out all the stressors in her life and she’s beating herself up because she’s in a better position than most. She’s really beating herself up for not coping. It’s so hard to watch.

Tell her it’s very common for young people to have episodes of intense stress in their final degree year. It just makes her human.

It does sound like she’s dissociating due to stress. She needs a break and to have a pause from/leave the job if she can.

Panic attacks can also feel like this. I have a very stressed third year dd in an incredibly pressured university- several of her group are having panic attacks.

This sounds like a MH crisis.. have you contacted your gp?

Obviously she’s not a weak person

she just needs support to help her figure out what’s going on, what’s she’s feeling and why she’s feeling it and how to get on top of it

one way is to confront it maybe by writing down what she can so she can refer to it when she talks to the GP.

what was she upset about that found her crouched in the corner like that

she may not even know

it might just be an overwhelming feeling that she can’t explain

Sounds like a panic attack and dis-association to me.

She’s going to GP today. It’s hard to get a go appt here so that brought its own stress with it. She doesn’t even know what’s making her stressed and that’s annoying her even more because she’s thinks she is in a good space compared to many of her uni friends. (

Hi thee, thinking of you and admiring how well you're coping. How did the appointment go?

@Coldhandswarmheartsthank you. GP sent us straight to A&E. They did bloods and ocular scan and brain CT. All clear. So she has been referred to rapid access neurology clinic. However they haven’t ruled out A mental health episode. We are happy there is nothing stopping
her from driving so she’s going back to placement tomorrow. She feels reassured medics are helping so just need to see what neurologists think. She’s to keep a diary of all symptoms.

@blcakgaragedoor

goodness that’s very thorough and quick. Very impressive. I’m pleased for you and her that you’re in very good hands by the sounds of it

It's good to hear that her symptoms are being taken seriously and that it's all moving quickly. Hopefully she will feel a weight lifted off her shoulders now that she is not trying to manage it alone.