Exhausting dealing with health professionals

[LegallyLoopy]

I think this post is really to get it all out because it’s been a rough 2 years due to my adult daughter being mentally unwell to the point of being sectioned. She is home now though.

She has a lot of agencies involved in her care, for which I am grateful. The thing is, I find it so draining and so exhausting when they disregard the knowledge I have about my daughter and how she reacts to things. They tell me that I don’t know whether she is distressed or not, but I’ve seen her distressed plenty of times over 2 decades to know when she is. I completely respect their knowledge and expertise in their field but I feel I don’t get that back regards the knowledge I have about my daughter and what I feel is best for her.

There have been some incidents that I have had to fight back on, such as ice being put directly onto her skin without her consent (she is unable to consent and unable to tell them to stop) which caused her to be incredibly angry to the point of punching her bed and pillow. The health professionals said that it was just her processing the last 2 years of feelings. I didn’t believe that and stopped this treatment. Her anger and frustration has since subsided.

The Psychologist and support workers involved in her care also suggested to not give her a certain medication which went against her psychiatrist’s prescription and led to her becoming quite unwell. She’s been on benzodiazepines for over 2 years and their suggestion resulted in suddenly eradicating them from her system which led to withdrawals. I have a telephone appointment with the psychiatrist tomorrow about it all.

Its just incredibly exhausting and I guess I just needed to let off some steam on here.

I am so sorry OP.
It is awful. They won't speak, or listen, to parents if the person is over 18. You feel so helpless.

I would go by the psychiatrist (a doctor) not what the professionals who are not doctors say. It sounds very difficult.

Do you think they just see “controlling parent” and assume that is the reason for the child’s mental distress? Like co-dependency or something?

That sounds so hard. The thing with the ice sounds clueless. I think it's hard work anyway dealing with a lot of health professionals even if they were lovely.

That’s what I’ve told them I would be doing from now on. I said that I’m not going to take medication instructions via messengers so I need to speak with the psychiatrist directly before any changes are made.

They know that it’s due to a traumatic event she experienced a couple of years ago that involved other people outside our family. She does rely on me a lot due to her having a learning disability and suspected autism but that’s how she’s always been since being a baby. I’m not sure if they see me as controlling but I just want what’s best for her and it’s hard to go along with professionals when I know what they are saying is just not good for my daughter. I’m not saying everything, they have some very good ideas and I am grateful for their help. It’s just some things are not logical that they want to do.

I can sympathise OP. I too have a mentally unwell daughter who has previously been sectioned. She’s back home now too.
Ive found once over 18 they don’t involve family much, although the professionals involved in my DD’s care have done with her permission.