Originally Posted by Penny45

Can I seek some advice please? The person in my family is my 15 year old daughter. She was self harming but has stopped after seeing a clinical psychologist for 10 weeks. I really thought things were improving but she has recently been having trouble sleeping - I have read that insomnia is a symptom of depression.

Today she has come back from school saying she can't go tomorrow, needs to catch up on sleep, can't concentrate, feels super depressed/suicidal, very teary when she's telling me all this.

My instinct is to make her go as to let her sit in room all day would surely make her feel worse and also, if she spends a lot of the day dozing then we're back to her not sleeping properly tomorrow night then she's tired again on Friday.

Would really appreciate some opinions on this - if I try to 'make' her go it's likely to involve me having to drag her out of bed and a lot of stress.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by Penny45

Can I seek some advice please? The person in my family is my 15 year old daughter. She was self harming but has stopped after seeing a clinical psychologist for 10 weeks. I really thought things were improving but she has recently been having trouble sleeping - I have read that insomnia is a symptom of depression.

Today she has come back from school saying she can't go tomorrow, needs to catch up on sleep, can't concentrate, feels super depressed/suicidal, very teary when she's telling me all this.

My instinct is to make her go as to let her sit in room all day would surely make her feel worse and also, if she spends a lot of the day dozing then we're back to her not sleeping properly tomorrow night then she's tired again on Friday.

Would really appreciate some opinions on this - if I try to 'make' her go it's likely to involve me having to drag her out of bed and a lot of stress.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by Penny45

Can I seek some advice please? The person in my family is my 15 year old daughter. She was self harming but has stopped after seeing a clinical psychologist for 10 weeks. I really thought things were improving but she has recently been having trouble sleeping - I have read that insomnia is a symptom of depression.

Today she has come back from school saying she can't go tomorrow, needs to catch up on sleep, can't concentrate, feels super depressed/suicidal, very teary when she's telling me all this.

My instinct is to make her go as to let her sit in room all day would surely make her feel worse and also, if she spends a lot of the day dozing then we're back to her not sleeping properly tomorrow night then she's tired again on Friday.

Would really appreciate some opinions on this - if I try to 'make' her go it's likely to involve me having to drag her out of bed and a lot of stress.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by carolinephillips

Has something happened in her peer group, or at school? My daughter threatened to kill herself when she found out someone had been spreading untrue gossip about her and a "boyfriend" on facebook, which my daughter doesn't have, but some of her friends do- her hormones were also all over the place and she was very frightened of how her feelings kept swinging about. It was hard to handle- she saw the counsellor, and we let her know that we were there for her- sometimes by just hugging her as she sobbed. The school were pretty good about sorting the problem out, and her GP also put her on the pill, partly as a treatment for her acne and partly to stabilise the hormones.
I don't know if any of this is at all helpful, but you have my sympathies in what is a horrid place to be.

Originally Posted by Penny45

God, I really wouldn't want to be a teenager these days, I think they know too much too young and can't cope. Hope your daughter doing better these days.

She says she just wants a 'stress free' day at home tomorrow. Her boyfriend of one year finished with her two weeks ago and she reacted much better than I expected, I thought she was doing OK so not sure why she's gone backwards. I feel if I let her stay at home it will be habit forming.

There is a feeling in me that to some extent its manipulation and I know that's really harsh. Husband not much help although he did take her to school yesterday after major freak out - it would have got much worse if I'd been left to deal with it.

So the question is, for someone who has depression (which I have not suffered) is it best to let them have their 'time out' or should I be hard and force her to go to school?

Originally Posted by eddie007

If mine was suicidal and verbalising it I would be "making them go" to the doctors... Right now.... 15 year olds are too vulnerable not to have strong parents at times like this.. And school, if that is where the problem is, may not be the bestbplace for her.... Honestly.. I'd get professional help STAT

Originally Posted by Penny45

Her last weekly appointment at the clinical psychologist was last Wednesday. The Doc told her she could now reduce to fortnightly appointments as self harming has stopped. It's quite difficult to get emergency appointment with her and I don't think the GP has been much help (apart from the initial referral).

There's a childline type phone number but she says she doesn't want to ring them and talk about it. Lost really

Originally Posted by Penny45

Did your son's depression 'lift' when the dope smoking stopped?

Originally Posted by eddie007

Eventually... With some healthy living and open talking and unconditional love

Originally Posted by Penny45

I'm almost convinced, the self harm was real enough, the tears are real enough and that kind of 'dull' expression on her face sometimes. If I really 100% thought she was going to do something then I'd ask for her to be admitted somewhere. But then she's on facebook 'chatting' with mates, she still has a healthy appetite etc etc. What the hell do I know though? I keep thinking of Gary Speed who was all 'normal' until the day he ended it.

Originally Posted by Dorothy

Your local children's hospital will have a paediatric mental health unit which will have a nurse on call. Phone them NOW. Don't wait for your daughter to want to ring the kids' help line. You're the parent, you make her speak to someone.

She probably doesn't need to be admitted somewhere, she needs to be able to talk to someone tonight. If her psychologist can't/won't see her then she needs the help of the emergency professionals at the children's hospital.

In Perth it's called ACAT (Acute Community Assessment Team). Not sure if that's what it's called in Sydney, but try googling ACAT Sydney to see what you come up with.

Originally Posted by Dorothy

In Perth it's called ACAT (Acute Community Assessment Team). Not sure if that's what it's called in Sydney, but try googling ACAT Sydney to see what you come up with.