Getting started

[Uninformedconfusedyethope]

This is a big deal for me. I signed up today because I finally realised after 16 years that my daughter seems to be presenting with some mental health issues. She is the middle child or our close, loving, mostly functional family. I have reached the point where I have had to accept that I don’t know how to support her. Furthermore, I think it’s because I have my own unresolved issues that reappear in times of stress, and I am not coping well. Even my husband is starting to show signs of fatigue and both of us have recently stepped over the line of losing our cool, yelling and swearing at our daughter , causing her to get on her bike and ride away into the night. That’s why I’m here. I dont feel like we’re getting anywhere. I know very little about mental illness. It scares me. But I think the time has come to address both my daughter’s needs, my own long standing needs, and in turn, the needs of our whole family.

[Bethie]

Hi and welcome

You need to get her to your GP. From there they can assess her and arrange what ever treatment she needs.

Its very taxing looking after anyone with mental health issues especially if you have any as well.

There's a thread called who cares for the carers I think it is that I find useful.

I carer for my partner who has multiple disorders atm and also talk to a councillor at least once a week because of my anxiety and depression.

Please don't feel bad. We all crack at sometime under pressure and do or say things we don't mean to.

Talking to your GP may be a good idea for you as well. .

Please keep posting good and bad. It' better to let thoughts and emotions out than bottlng them up inside

[Doolhof]

Hi Hopeful,

I too welcome you to the community here. Like Bethie, my suggestion would be a trip to the GP. You can also call the Beyondblue helpline on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline for immediate help and suggestions.

Mental health issues are like any other kind of illness, they need diagnosing, understanding, treatment and checking.

Coming from a family with mental health issues spread through various generations, I understand the plight you have explained. "Parents having trouble understanding their teenage daughter-teenage daughter having trouble understanding parents!"

You could Google "signs and symptoms" of depression, find an appropriate moment and ask your daughter if any of that makes sense to her. Let her know you want to understand her and how she feels.

Is she close to another family member who could help with this?

The more I read about depression and what helps those suffering from it, the better I understand myself and how to make the most out of each day.

Helping your daughter to steer her way through life, if she has a mental health issue or not will be one of the most valuable things you do for her and your whole family.

Sometimes all a person needs is acceptance, acknowledgement and understanding.

Cheers from Dools