How do I keep strong when my teen has attempted suicide?

[Harleydog]

My only child, 13 year old took an overdose 3 weeks ago and ended up in ED. I found the note and the tablets. She is diagnosed with depression, anxiety, ODD and an eating disorder.I work at our local school and at the beginning of the year we transferred to the only other school in our town. She spent a couple of weeks in an adolescent mental health unit last year and is under CAMHS and a psychiatrist. Today we have found out she has been finally accepted to another facility on Monday. I have almost exhausted all my leave and it looks like I will now need to take more leave for this term. I am starting to really struggle to cope. I am seeing a gp,on medication but I am starting to feel effects on my body from all of the stress and worry. I am even considering home schooling to reduce our school fees and allow her time to develop her strength and resilience. I am seeking support from others who have had this experience and can recall strategies that helped you cope. I need to be strong for my girl and I am petrified of falling down myself.

[Courtney-RO]

Hi @Harleydog and welcome to our online community!

I'm sorry to hear that your child attempted suicide recently, I can only imagine how awful that would have been for you. You mentioned that you are seeing a GP, do you find them helpful in working through some of your thoughts and worries?

If you are up for a bit of a read, The Raising Children's Network is a great resource and offers a lot of helpful information on how to address certain situations, so it may be worth having a read of their article on Suicidal Thoughts. It might also be worth reaching out to a support service like Parentline if you would like to talk to someone about this.

Please remember that you're not alone and we're always here for you.

[Portia_RO]

Hi @Harleydog , I just wanted to follow up and say that I'm incredibly sorry to hear about what you and your daughter are going through. Seeing your child in so much pain can be incredibly traumatising, so I'm sure that the last few weeks of ED visits and trying to find another mental health facility have been both physically and emotionally draining. I'm glad to hear that your daughter is heading to another facility on Monday - hopefully they can provide her with the additional support she needs to continue recovering. 

From what you've said, I can really hear how dedicated and reliable you are as a parent. Being there for your daughter seems to be your number one priority, even if it comes at the cost of your own health at times. I'm a big believer that you can't give from an empty cup, so I'm really glad to see that you've reached out to your GP and you're exploring other options to look after yourself while you're supporting your daughter. Is there anything that you can do at the moment, even if it's only for 5 minutes, that is just for you? 

You mentioned the idea of homeschooling your daughter for a while to help with some of your financial stress and to give her a chance to recover at home. What would that arrangement look like for you in terms of your job? 

You also mentioned that you're seeking peer support from other parents who have been in similar situations. We have definitely heard from other parents on this forum who have supported their children through a suicide attempt, so I hope that reading their stories and hearing from them will provide you with some hope. If you think it would be useful for you, Beyond Blue have also written a great guide on supporting someone on their way back from suicide, which has been created by people with lived experience of this very challenging situation. 

Please feel free to keep us updated on how you're doing and know that we are here to support you while you're doing the tough and important work of supporting your daughter