TW: Caring for daughter through 3 suicide attempts

@Dolphin-smiles I really feel for you. My wife and I are currently dealing with a similar situation.

Have you thought about seeing you GP for a mental health care plan? There is alot of psychologists available that may be able to help and guide you through these times.

My heart goes out to you and yours, don't hesitate to reach out, if you someone to vent to.

Thanks so much for your reply, jrn. I am seeing a counsellor but he’s been sick a lot lately. I think I just need to know others are in the same boat as me. I’m so sorry to hear that you and your wife are dealing with something similar. How do you stay sane through this?

@Dolphin-smiles unfortunately both my wife and I are going through the perils of anxiety and depression over it. But we are both getting help to be able to support our daughter. It is hard to stay sane, but as any parent should, being there for our daughter keeps us going.

You should be so proud of yourself for being the rock your daughter needs at this time.

Fyi, our daughter is more close to my wife than me as well. I thing that's a pretty common thing. As a couple my wife and I also make sure our relationship is stable around our daughter, when she sees that we are holding steady through the storm, she seems to be a bit stronger for herself.

Thanks again for your reply. I have bipolar 2 disorder and have managed to stay pretty stable and strong through all of this although super anxious at times. Therapy and medication and social supports have helped. It’s just after this last attempt I’m really getting depressed and so anxious I can’t function at times. It was almost lethal and I feel traumatised.

Mental health care plan sounds good.

Also maybe a therapist she ferls safe and comfortable with to be heard and hopefully understood and supported.

Medication prescribed by professional dr may help to.

Best wishes!🙏

Hi @Dolphin-smiles just checking in to see how you are doing today 😊

I was diagnosed with BPD2 as well, but after 12 years had to go off the medication, it was giving me really bad dry mouth, which resulted in losing teeth.

I hope you are managing ok, and remember there's always some to chat to.

Thanks Rovja. I’ve known my therapist for years and feel safe with him, it’s just that he’s had some health problems and is not so available. I did have a session with a counsellor from our EAP last week too and that was helpful. I think I’ve been more triggered this week with Suicide Prevention month and RUOK days. Constant messaging in the media and in emails from my daughter’s school keeps bringing it to the fore. My meds have been working really well but I’ve needed some PRN this week. Today I am feeling better, maybe I needed to process some stuff.

Hi, I see you wrote your post a few months back I am a mum to an 18 year old daughter with mental health problems and I have been supporting her through it on my own for five plus years. She has suicidal ideations so I can somewhat understand where you are at. This is by far the most challenging thing I have ever endured as a parent. To watch your child go from being happy go lucky and lively to someone who spends 24 hours per day in their room on their phone...

Are you getting support? I am finding it hard to find many places for parents to connect online??

hi Billie12,

thanks for your message.

It’s awful what you’re going through.
I’m lucky in that she’s doing really well for now. It’s been a really long road. I have had support from a therapist, as well as friends and colleagues at work. I know a couple of mums who have been through similar. Still it’s been really lonely at times. I am only just getting good sleep, now I know she’s safe and that I’m not going to wake to a crisis. Well here’s hoping. She is still taking medication and seeing a psychologist as well but she somehow got through school and did well enough to get into her first preference at uni. She is actually enjoying it. It’s lovely to see my happy girl back, enjoying her boyfriend and friends and work. I hope your daughter starts to recover soon. Are you getting any support for yourself? And is she? Take care

Hey Dolphin, thank you for your response. I am so glad to read that your daughter is doing so much better. Yes, my daughter has a support system in place as in a GP, psychologist and I'm about to engage a psychiatrist but having no family here, my own mental health issues and no friends it makes it very hard as her only constant support person.