Daughter struggling or just behaving badly

[Meldrum]

My 23 YO recently broke up with her partner and was put on anti depressants. Intiially this helped her a lot but she has arrived for a family easter weekend yesterday in a very low and angry mood. She had said mid week that she was dreading coming and we told her we would miss her if she didnt come but understood if she didnt want to be around people. She did tell me when i asked last night that she has stopped the medication. She is very withdrawn and angry and we are all walking on egg shells unsure whether to approach her or leave her alone.

i gave her a hug yesterday and just said I was here for her if she needed me and that Inlove her very much she was a stiff as a board in my arms

any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Zeal]

Hi Meldrum,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is struggling at the moment, after ending a relationship. If you don't mind me asking, has your daughter taken antidepressants (AD's) before this? Stopping AD's abruptly without gradually reducing the dose (weaning off them) leads to side effects, such as low mood, increased anxiety and irritability. I once accidentally skipped my AD dose one day, and suffered from a really low mood and more acute anxiety for the next few days, which was constantly bothering me. Since this experience, I have not missed taking my meds since! I'm a 24 year old female by the way, and I have been taking AD's since I was 19, for anxiety.

You have given your daughter the most important messages, by saying that you're here for you and that you love her. Just being emotionally available for your daughter (which you're already doing) is important. Even though she may seem to want aloneness, there will be times when she doesn't really want to be completely alone. Just knowing that her family are in the next room could be of comfort. Hopefully these side effects of stopping the meds start to calm down. Part of the low mood could be due to the break-up as well, but I'm betting that abruptly stopping her AD's is the biggest culprit.

I hope things improve 🙂

Best wishes,

Zeal

[Carla09]

I think just give her time...and try to build her back up...let her know that this pain will pass etc....

for me it helped to have a goal and work towards it..for example i went for a trip overseas....and also started studying part time....and setting goals of things to read..or learn an instrument etc...i think just keep her goal focused...