On mental health suicide crisis watch again (vent)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a “trooper”? I hope you don’t mean police, who are trained to kill people who threaten to use weapons.

The police have been amazing in dealing with my mentally ill child. They have been a resource we could not live without. I agree with PP, you must never have had a real crisis or you would understand.

OP here. THey handled their visits here with calm, compassion and professionalism. Of course it helped she wasnt violent towards people and only once had a physical meltdown with the throwing things down the stairs that were heavy. Calling the police was a no brainer.

The second time she had just told me she had just swallowed pills. It was tylenol. I reamained as calm as possible and walker her to the ambulance, the entire borough was there supporting and being calm and just holding space. It really helped. I followed up with them and thanked them. Then when I knew a crisis might occur, I decided a headsup might not be a bad idea. They were, again, great and supportive. I am so grateful. Never thought I would say that about a bunch of Maryland State Troopers.

I've had 3 hours of sleep. NOw I have to do some work.

THankfully I have a great boss and work from home. Also thankfully I can focus on the work so he never noticed anything different and was unaware of any past problems, but I still told him and have his support.

Thanks for YOUR support everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a “trooper”? I hope you don’t mean police, who are trained to kill people who threaten to use weapons.

The police have been amazing in dealing with my mentally ill child. They have been a resource we could not live without. I agree with PP, you must never have had a real crisis or you would understand.

OP here. THey handled their visits here with calm, compassion and professionalism. Of course it helped she wasnt violent towards people and only once had a physical meltdown with the throwing things down the stairs that were heavy. Calling the police was a no brainer.

The second time she had just told me she had just swallowed pills. It was tylenol. I reamained as calm as possible and walker her to the ambulance, the entire borough was there supporting and being calm and just holding space. It really helped. I followed up with them and thanked them. Then when I knew a crisis might occur, I decided a headsup might not be a bad idea. They were, again, great and supportive. I am so grateful. Never thought I would say that about a bunch of Maryland State Troopers.

I've had 3 hours of sleep. NOw I have to do some work.

THankfully I have a great boss and work from home. Also thankfully I can focus on the work so he never noticed anything different and was unaware of any past problems, but I still told him and have his support.

Thanks for YOUR support everyone.

I might add that I remember being in the hallway of the ER and watching one of the officers sign a form with her name on it. I could actually see a kind of resigned heartbreak in his expression. The people at the ER are overwhelmed with these attempts and self harm episodes and its taking its toll on them too. What this means as someone needing their help is that if its clear you as the parent are part of the team to help your child, they sense and appreciate that. At least that was my experience at the ER>

That was NOT the experience at Brooklane Hagerstown where DD was attacked by a resident with a history of attacking others. Not safe. MOre trauma. Never again.

THAT is why I called around to see who has beds.

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry OP. I went through a similar situation with my DD once. Just once, but it nearly broke me, and I don't think I could handle another episode.

It's so stressful and destructive for a parent, and it was hard for me to not be super angry with her.

Yes, God bless helpful police, and ER staff, and facility staff who take the burden off of the parent for at least a few days in the midst of it. I really think that's what brought my DD back to stability- knowing that multiple, trained adults thought she had a problem and was at risk. And also, my DD has severe ADHD and has/had a screen addiction. It is very real. I wish she was born a decade earlier before the iphone/IPAD/social media. It's destructively letting at risk kids live out their worst fantasies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a “trooper”? I hope you don’t mean police, who are trained to kill people who threaten to use weapons.

How is this comment helpful? You've obviously never been in crisis and needed help

Cops shot and killed my suicidal neighboor in her own home, but thank you for your blind speculation.

But my neighbor was poor and black, so I guess you're right that the comment isn't helpful here.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry OP, we have been through a slightly less intense version of this.

My two cents is this does sound an awful lot like BPD and if it is you probably know the only real solution is certain therapies -- like DBT.

There is a new therapy that is supposed to be just as successful called MBT or metallization. McLean hospital is one of the places that has embraced this, it can be harder to find but is apparently very popular with this population.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mbt

Of course meds like mood stabilizers (lamictal) and SSRIs can take the edge of, but they really need one of these two intense therapies.

Hospitalization or a good RTC is the way to go here. I have heard good things about Rogers in Wisconsin, Center for Discovery in VA.

Both of these are not locked down facilities (which is good in my book) but it does mean she would have to be willing to go.

GL

[Anonymous]

I didn't mean popular, I mean successful with this population.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to add that the MoCo police picked up my child in a public place after a suicide threat (made on social media) and they were very professional, kind, and handled the whole thing with sensitivity.

[Anonymous]

bpd = bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder?

And OP, I am so very sorry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:bpd = bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder?

And OP, I am so very sorry

BPD is shorthand for borderline personality disorder and BP is usually used for bipolar. Can be confusing.

[Anonymous]

OP, I remember you from older posts I read while sitting in the ER with my teen on suicide watch waiting for an open bed. I'm sorry you're going through this. I'm sorry how cyclical this trauma is. DC hasn't been to the ER in six months but I feel like it's only a matter of time.

I'm thinking about you and DD and hoping this time is different. Please post as you need to.

[Anonymous]

Why do these teens do this? Threaten suicide over and over but never do anything? My SIL is going through something similar.

Right now it is being treated as an attention seeking behavior with a therapist. She has no mental health diagnosis yet. My niece did an in-patient program for 6 weeks this summer, which is what she begged for. So wild for me to understand. It's a form of blackmail that parents seem to have to accept because if they don't the horrible alternative could be the death of their kid. "Give me/take me/let me XYZ or I'm going to kill myself!"

I hate to say it, but I see so many young people bragging on social media about "taking a grippy sock vacation" and others glorifying it. I think many are doing it for the attention from others.

[Anonymous]

OP I am so impressed with the way you write about all this and how amazing you have been despite the toll it has taken. You clearly take the professional advice to heart and apply it well. You are getting her good help.

DBT is a wonderful form of therapy for this and I truly hope you see more improvements with it.

I am so glad to read the police were supportive and incredible. There are some really good officers out there and it's a shame the bad ones are the ones who make them all look bad.

I really wish you didn't have to deal with this.

[Anonymous]

DBT therapy.