Discussion forum for parents in Australia
07-23-2020 06:50 AM
07-23-2020 12:56 PM
Hey @HumbleDad, thanks for sharing your experience on the forum, I can imagine this must be a confusing situation and the fact that you've reached out for support and advice shows that you really care about your daughter and her wellbeing.
I'm wondering about how you're feeling about this situation, what do you think the benefits of talking to your daughter about her mothers mental health issues would be?
I also just want to point out that we're happy to support you here, but ReachOut forums are aimed at parents of children aged 12 - 18, so I'm going to include some other resources here that might be helpful.
I hope you find some of these useful and that some of our forum users are able to share their experiences here with you as well.
07-24-2020 05:36 PM
07-24-2020 09:24 PM - edited 07-24-2020 10:53 PM
Hi @HumbleDad, thanks for providing some further clarification. It sounds like a really tricky and delicate situation. It might be helpful to focus on what your daughter is experiencing and how it is making her feel. This might validate the struggles that your daughter is going through. Ideally, it might also help to get her involved with a counsellor if that is a feasible option for you. That way she can explore these topics with a professional and receive some support and strategies. There are services like Kids Helpline available if she needs more immediate support.
You also mentioned that your daughter was showing signs of self-harm, what do you mean by that? It seems like you concerned about what happens when your daughter stays with her Mum. Have you talked about what to do if your daughter is feeling unsafe or scared? You could develop a safety plan for moments like these. You could also think about making a report to Child Protection - understandably this may feel uncomfortable for you.
It sounds like you have been through a lot and it is important to look after yourself while supporting other people. There is a service called ParentLine which offers telephone counselling. It also has a number of referrals and resources that may be helpful for you
Also, please be informed that we are also mandatory reporters. You can read more about this in our guidelines here.
11-05-2021 12:57 AM - last edited on 11-16-2021 04:23 PM by Philippa-RO
Of course, it's hard for her to agree because she ignored the first signs of BPD so now is too late. In this case, I think the people around here should encourage her and slowly determine her to consult a specialist. It's very good that you informed yourself and understand that your daughter has to see while she is staying at her place. My friend also had BPD and with lots of love and patience, she was able to understand she has to see a specialist and that she is not by herself in this journey.
11-05-2021 12:54 PM
Hi @Fullerp Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. It is hard when we don't get the support that we need. I definitely agree that it's important to seek help and that health professionals can be a great source of support for people with BPD.
11-08-2021 07:57 PM - edited 11-08-2021 08:01 PM
It looks like you’re visiting us from a country other than Australia.
We are an Australian service and think you’d benefit more from looking up a similar service in your country.
You are welcome to look around the forums, but please don’t make an account or post, as we can’t offer you the help you may need.
Before you go ahead and post, you should know that we remove non-Australian accounts – not because we don’t want to help or connect with you, but because we may not be able to provide you with the service that you require.