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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

things couldnt get any worst, dd was admitted to hospital today after self harming

203 replies

SpaceCadet · 01/02/2007 23:12

any one who has read my thread regarding my daughter will know that the last few months have been very tough.
lately her outbursts have become more violent, she has assaulted me on 2 ocassions and my 2 younger children are so distressed they scream the house down when dd kicks off, ds(5), stands with his face to the wall, covering his eyes and sobbing uncontrollably
today, when i told her that she couldnt have her boyfriend round, she went beserk, vandalised her room again and slashed her arms open with arazor, her arms are already a mess from the fconstant self harming..i couldnt take anymore and rang the gp who arranged for her to be seen in hospital.
the situation now is, she has been referred to the mental health team and she sees the pschyciatric link nurse tomorrow..however they are notifying social services..im not abad parent, ive done everything in my power to stop all this, im so exhausted with it all, its going to destroy my family
a lot of the reason for my own extremely low feelings are down to all this.

OP posts:
Yorkiegirl · 02/02/2007 07:08

Message withdrawn

Pixiefish · 02/02/2007 07:14

Me too Spacey- only just seen it. Hope she gets the medical help she needs

SpookyMadMummy · 02/02/2007 08:01

Hi Spacey...
Just to echo many of the posters on here...
You know where I am hun XXXX

ItsMeMellowma · 02/02/2007 08:09

So sorry to see this spacey.
xx

Frizbe · 02/02/2007 09:29

thinking of you all today hon x

Kelly1978 · 02/02/2007 09:37

Will be thinking of you today, I hope you both get the support you badly need.

BriefNameChange · 02/02/2007 09:51

SC you've done nothing bad.

I am a well nown Mimsnetter, i changed my name just for this- I hope you don't mind. If you want to check who I am I am happy to tell you in response to a cat message, just not in public if that is alright.

I have a history of self harm, culminating when I was about 19 with pouring boiling water over my arm until it blistered badly. I've also cut myself inthe past, and it was alongside an eating disorder.

Why did I do it? because everything at the time semed so bad and I needed to feel some sense of control I suppose. I felt severe guilt for lots of things that ahd never been anything I was responsible for, but of course teenagers aren't that rational. When I hurt myself, it felt a small bit like a pennance, but also I felt a tangible sense of that guilt lifting for a while. It was also a cry for help- I thought if someone would see, they'd realise how bad things were for me (nobody ever did but that was a LONg time ago).

I hope it reassures you to know that it passed. Occasionally when things are very traumatic I still feel a little like it, but I haven't acted on that in over a decade. As I matured enough to be able to take proper control of my life, and I learned how to affect positive change myself, the lack of control changed with it. The eating disorders still raise their head very occasionally, but are mostly under control.

Please don't clame yourself for what is happening to your daughter. Its a reaction to beinga teenager I expect. As long as you make yourself available for talking, and can find a way to help her learn to take control in more appropriate ways, then youa re doinga ll you can. Having ehr see a Psychiatric Nurse was the best thing of all- exactly what is needed I feel.

As for the little ones and social services, your daughter does need to learn that she cant traumatise them this way. I have a disabled son who is violrent on front of his siblings,a nd I have also ahd SS involvement. In no way were they accusatory to me: they ahve seen it all a thousand times, and will just give the advice they can.

I wish you all luck.

SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 11:06

nothing to report yet, h is at hospital with dd, they are waiting to see the link nurse..she has refused to see me.

briefnamechange..thank you for posting about your experience, it must have been very difficult for you, i dont feel i have any right to check who you are, you chose to anon for a reason, but if you would like to talk then feel free to email me
ezzywezzy at msn dot com
i too self harmed as i said earlier, but it was more a response to the abuse i received from my father..

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bobalinga · 02/02/2007 11:29

Sorry to hear you're going through this Space Cadet. As mums we do the best we can but we can't know what is inside someone else's head. My 14 yo ran off and says she hates me and is never coming home. I'm beginning to learn its about her not about me.
I SH'ed as a teen and it was about anger and fustration that I didn't know how to express. There's so much stuff going on in a teenagers life that we don't know about and may seem trivial to an adult but is the end of the world to a teenager.
All you can do is be there for her, know that any cruel things are said out of anger and you're the nearest target and, deep down, she knows she is 'safe' hitting out at you cos she knows you love her. Not much consolation I guess.
Good luck with the psych stuff.

SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 14:48

well dd is back, its been a bit of a palava,she was kept overnight in a and e and told she would be seeing the link nurse this morning..however, this mor ning h was told, sory there isnt actially a paed link nurse for mental health and he and dd were sent somewhere else outside of the hospital, the same place where dd and i were seen in the summer.
they saw a child pschycologist who said that she was extremely concerned about dd and classed her a suicide risk..she has to put dd;'s case to a panel who will decide if dd needs help.
she said dd had ocd and various other things going on to, she described her as a very troubled young woman, dd had to fill out a depression questionaire too which the doctor will present to the panal, she is also writing to our gp.
dd has been asked to have 3 people on a safe list who she feels she can talk to if she feels like cutting herself.i must hide all meds, sharp knives etc too.
she has to go back next week.
when she got home,we had a lot of tears, she told me that she feels worthless and a failure, i told her that i loved her and couldnt bear to see her like that, she has gone to bed..i feel emotionally exhausted

OP posts:
PeachyClair · 02/02/2007 15:09

SC

Caribbeanqueen · 02/02/2007 15:24

Only just seen this sc - so sorry you are all going through this, but glad she is getting some help. Take care.

gothicmama · 02/02/2007 15:34

Spacey,thinking of you

JackieNo · 02/02/2007 15:36

Oh SpaceCadet. So sorry to hear about all this. Thinking of you.

quadrophenia · 02/02/2007 15:37

Spacey what kind of support network do you have? Am thinking you need people on hand to help you with this, particulalry if you have other kids too. This must be incredibly heartbreaking sending you and your dd much love xx

SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 15:52

no, i dont have a support network as i dont know anyone..i only recently moved round here

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Nemo2007 · 02/02/2007 16:00

SC hugs to you
sounds like a nightmare system that cant get more help. Will anyone be coming to see dd this week?

SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 16:01

nemo-no, nothing was said about anyone visiting dd, she has ti run to the centre next friday..i havent even been able to get through to the school to tell them whats going on

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SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 16:03

that should be..has to return to the centre

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SecondhandRose · 02/02/2007 16:10

So sorry to hear about this and sorry your DD has not had immediate help from the hospital, ridiculous you have to wait until next week.

Has she had any counselling or therapy yet? Could you ask your GP to refer you?

SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 16:11

no counselling etc, her case is being put to a board to decide what to do next, they are within their rights to refuse help, they did last time

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LadyOfTheFlowers · 02/02/2007 16:15

oh spacey. so sorry. x
my brother is 21 and sh so i can understand how you feel.
last year my mum called me at work beside herself as the hosp had rung her and told her he was there after slashing himself across the stomach.
unfortunately, he has stopped going to see his counsellor every friday but luckily has stopped. he only sh now when he is really down.
at least, even though it must break your heart, you have a sort of 'reason' for her anger. my bro has no reason it would seem.
it is very distressing, but she will get better and you will probably become closer for it. she will rebel against help, and say awful things and be horrid, but once they start to work with her she will recover. let dh take jer if that is what she wants and dont feel that she has rejected you.
at least she has agreed to get help and thatis all that matters.
just be there for her when she wants to talk.

also, my brother is ashamed and embarassed about it so we tend to let him start talking rather than ask him if he has sh recently.

SecondhandRose · 02/02/2007 16:35

SC- surely they can't deny your daughter help if she needs it, that sounds ridiculous. Talk to your MP and make some noise.

SpaceCadet · 02/02/2007 20:55

when we went to see someone at this clinic before she was denied the help she needed, however things are different now and the doctor assured us that dd needed help and should get it, we will find out when we go back next week

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mummytosteven · 02/02/2007 20:57

this "board" business sounds a bit bonkers, doesn't it, but hopefully the word of a qualified psychologist should be enough. Did the OCD thing come as a complete bolt from the blue to you?

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