Seeking help with an unaccepting family

[Cam.ryn]

Hi everyone,

So I guess to start off just with just a bit of a background on me- I'm 16 in Year 12 (finishing school in 3 weeks yay!) and I'm actually going pretty great at the moment! The last few months for me have been pretty good as far as my mental health goes. But I have had a bad few years recently, I've struggled with an eating disorder, self harmed and ive had a lot of suicidal thoughts. And at the moment I do feel good but I don't think I'm 'healed' (I can't think of a better word but you get where im going?). Like at times I do feel myself slipping back into the headspace I've had in the past and I think id like to see professional help- just to be able to discuss my issues, and feel a bit more secure in my ability to stay on this functioning level I'm at now? (Wording things is -clearly- not my skill but hopefully you get my gist).

I guess my main issue in the past while I was in the thick of my mental health struggle (beyond my mindset that I didn't deserve help) was that my mum doesn't 'believe' in mental health. I think she has a fairly toxic mindset r.e. mental health- at one point I tried to see my school counselor and she told me that depression is a mindset, I just needed to grow up and suck it up- things along that sort of line. Unfortunately I wasn't able to just 'suck it up' and there was genuinely a point last year where I was just a minute or two away from taking my life and I'm scared to sink back into that place. So yes I'd like to seek professional help because although I'm on a roll just now I don't actually have any coping strategies for when I am in a bad patch. But I don't really know how to go about that without my mum's consent? I'm still 16 so I cant drive or get myself to a GP, etc and I really don't feel safe or comfortable trying to approach her about this- anytime I've tried has honestly been more damaging than benefitical.
I've had friends who have gotten help for themselves over the years so I think I get the basic- see a GP, get a mental health plan- there's a questionnaire involved? But yeah I'm not really sure how to get there without parental aid?

So if anyone has any advice on how to go about this/has similar experiences please let me know?

Thank you all in advance and hope you're having a great day 😊

Cam

[Sophie_M]

Hey Cam.ryn,

We are so grateful that you decided to reach out to our friendly community, and we hope that you can find some help and advice in the kind words that they can offer. It sounds like you've had a really difficult journey, and we are so sorry to hear what you've been through. We understand that it must be particularly difficult to reach out when you feel unable to talk about these thoughts and feelings with your family. But please know that this is a safe space to express yourself, and our caring community are here to help support you through this.

We think it's really strong of you and so important that you have been so proactive in recognising you need some help and seeking it. We'd really encourage you to reach out to our friends at Kids Helpline who are available to you 24/7 on 1800 55 1800, or if you'd feel more comfortable chatting online, they also have online chat available at https://kidshelpline.com.au/ One of the friendly counsellors will be able to talk through these feelings and experiences with you and can offer some great support as well as advice and referrals to help you through this.

We hope that you can find some comfort in the forums and please feel free to keep us updated here on your thread throughout your journey. 

[Cam.ryn]

Thanks Sophie! I'll check that out!

[james1]

Hello Cam.ryn,

I just wanted to also poke my head in here and offer another voice of support while you are trying to get the help you need. In addition to Sophie_M's suggestion, headspace (https://headspace.org.au/) is another organisation focussed on youth mental health. In my own experience, it is often helpful to have a few different options, whether professional help or a few friends to talk to.

I'm sad to hear that neither your mum or school counsellor are much help. Usually they'd be the people we hope can help, but all too often people just don't understand.

Still, I'm glad you've been able to monitor your own mental health and identify when you may need to get some outside help. That's really great.

As Sophie_M mentioned, please feel free to keep us updated here. I check on the threads I've responded to maybe twice a week, so I'd love to keep talking to you if it is helpful for you, or if you ever just need to vent somewhere.

James