My DD is in Year 8 and has suffered from severe anxiety and depressive symptoms for most of this year. She has a medical condition which can become life threatening when it flares up and, due to several episodes this year, she has really struggled to cope. Because one episode happened at school, she fears being there without me as she is so scared of becoming seriously ill (or worse) without either me or her dad. The GP has referred her to CAMHS and, whilst awaiting an initial assessment, we are paying for her to see a counsellor. Sadly, my DD suffers insomnia, dark thoughts, no motivation, overeating, gaining weight, crying constantly, social isolating herself, cannot make even simple decisions and is so so sad all the time.
But her school are being quite awkward about her absence, even the Head telling us that if "if it was another family, you'd be in court by now" because of the high absence due to these mental health problems she is currently suffering from. They keep asking for medical evidence, we've given all that we have from her consultants in regard to physical health but have explained that we cannot provide anything from CAMHS as haven't seen them yet, GP wont sign sick note in accordance with BMA guidelines and so we are now being told that we must meet with school in Jan with EWO.
I am really worried now, on top of having to care for terminally ill father, 2 disabled children and my DD with her understandable anxieties, that we will now find ourselves in trouble with the LA. We have kept school fully informed of why my DD cannot attend school, plans to support her (CAMHS/counsellor) and how she is emotionally affected so badly by a potentially fatal medical condition. Please help as I am desperate!