Daughters repeated attempts

[Nomdejeur]

My DD(17) has been with CAMHS on and off since she was 13. She was diagnosed with Autism this year. Over the years she has taken 4 overdoses, and now tonight she has cut her wrists. We are currently waiting in a&e, she’s sleeping. She has been taking Sertraline for 4 weeks.
She drives, goes to college, has a couple of friends. She makes plans to go to concerts. We watch films together, we talk about her mental health. She’s been to work today and told us her shifts for next week. I went to bed at 11, to be woken up by my husband saying she’d cut her wrists (he’d heard her going outside for a cigarette). I just can’t wrap my head around that she could make all these plans, and then go and slit her wrists. There’s a lot of blood, she did it upwards not across but has missed the artery.

Didn’t want to read and run. I am so aorry! That is very distressing! I hope all of yoh get the support you need to get your head around this. However, please don’t expect a rational understanding…… sometimes it may be that even your DD doesn’t understand it.

I don't know if this will help .. apologies if not
I had two attempts age 14 and 17 ..I was bulimic,self harming , shoplifting,truenting.
I couldn't cope with my life
My parents had divorced and both remarried with step children..I was spending my time split between both homes , changing schools frequently, getting bullied everywhere I went ..but this was the 1980s and no one thought autism.they thought I was a difficult child .
I did get diagnosed age 50 ,after a lifetime of not knowing what was wrong and being put on every single antidepressant possible,of which none worked , because I wasn't depressed,I was autistic.
Do you know if there is anything your daughter is not coping with in her life ?
Is she overwhelmed with how busy her life is?
I would get random thoughts when having a meltdown or shutdown and my mood would drop so low I couldn't bare it ,and then the random thought to do myself harm would win..
My current doctor has helped me see my random mood drops were not depression ,but shutdowns ,she has given me ideas for managing them such as headphones with my favourite music,,a text service called shout that I can text to distract myself from harm ..to go and sit around people to keep safe ,or if no thought of harm ,to take time alone to calm down.
Sensory wise I have a very soft jelly cat that I can stroke ..I also make sure to not let my blood sugar drop ,so regular eating and drinking, because not doing can make my mood drop suddenly
I also have propranolol that I can take up to 3 a day ,and that massively helps
You sound a lovely caring mum , trying to get help is often difficult..I hope CAMHS are helping your daughter x

Thank you for sharing your experience with it. She has had 9 stitches, is home asleep and waiting for the CAMHS team to call. She had been drinking in her room after we’d gone to bed, alcohol and sertraline don’t mix very well. I think the autism really messes with her feelings and emotions. She overthinks a lot, and struggles to ask herself why she’s feeling like she is. For example, she gets very teary and feels down and can’t stop eating, it doesn’t even occur to her that this happens at certain times every month. She always seems surprised if I ask if she’s due her period. She thinks, oh I’m sad, this is depression.

She needs to get herself a good understanding of autism..it helps to know what your dealing with
There's some really good books out ,some written by young female autistics
Unmasked ,,by Ellie Middleton for example
Camhs may have some groups she could join ..or if you go back to where she got her diagnosis they may run workshops

I'm glad she's home and doing ok ..must of been awful for you as mum x

Oh thank you, I will definitely get that book. I’m also looking for counsellors who specialise with Autism and mental health.
She has a Camhs appointment at 2.30, and the lady said that Sertraline can take up to 6 weeks to work, and there can be a dip in mood in between. So the dip, plus the drinking may have led her to spiral this week.

That's good you have CAMHS today
And yes probably a combination of things .
I went on the pill at 17
Really helped with moods and stopped the up and down of PMT .
I'm now on the POP so I never get a period..I just couldn't with periods on top of life .
Hope she gets some help today