DD self harming

[winifred39]

My dd is in psychiatric hospital secure unit under a section 3 for self harming and other difficulties. does anyone else have a child in a similar situation ?

So sorry to hear that. I'm not in the same position as you although my dd has self harmed in the past. I noticed you had no replies and just wanted you to know you weren't being ignored!
I hope someone comes along soon to offer support. Good luck :)

Hi, I signed up after reading your post. My 16yo daughter self harms whenever anything goes wrong. She has overdosed on tablets twice and was diagnosed with depression. She also suffers from ill health which, in my mind, has been the trigger for a lot of her emotional problems. She hasn't been placed in a secure unit, but I just wanted to say that I feel for you so much. I feel so devastated as my daughter struggles with life and worry so much about the future (I know they say not to think about the future but I can't help it!).

Take care and look after yourself x

Hi Winifred, there have been a few recent threads with DDs in adolescent units. My DD was in one several times a couple of years ago, so maybe I can offer some information. I'm really sorry to hear things are so difficult, but if she is a danger to herself, it might be the best place at the moment. At the time, I found it all terrifying, but I think for my DD it was valuable as she didnt feel so alone, and (some) of the coping techniques she learnt have made a huge difference. My advice is to take good care of yourself, as you will need infinite patience and strength, but in our case, as many , things did get much better eventually.

Hi, my dd is in an adolescent unit for treatment for bulimia. She was sectioned under the mental health act in November last year.
She has self harmed but never tried to overdose.

I'm at work now but if you've got any questions about units just ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Thanks for all your replies it really helps. Just been up to visit my dd in the unit which is a two hour drive away. I know she is in the right place but i feel devastated each time i come away having to leave her there. it is so painful for both of us. i know i must be strong but its really hard sometimes to go home to an empty house not knowing when or if she'll return home to live with me. she's been in hospital for a year now and she is improving slowly. Any tips on staying positive would be most welcome.

Maybe get some CBT support yourself via your GP. It helps you talk out loud about your fears as its hard for friends to understand and also to look forward. Also with your DD try to be calm and consistent, as I know now my emotional response made her feel worse. Try to hold on to hope - my DD had 3 quite long admissions over 18 months - there is a danger of teens getting used to being in the unit where there are other young people and in our case I had to fight with CAMHS to get her home as they didnt feel they could support her in the community due to staff cuts . Read up all you can on her particular issues and try to get family therapy etc in the unit, so you are as involved as you can be (this can be difficult and focus yourself on what she might do when she comes out. Ask lots of questions and write everything down. (I spent a lot of time setting up LEA support for her education )Most of our teens do get better and its important to focus and stay active in her life, with gentle encouragement about the positives of being at home when she is strong enough. Im sorry she is so far away. I found Easter/Christmas etc really hard so feel for you.