I can understand why you might be feeling frustrated or taken advantage of in this situation @Friendly011. I feel it would be best if you open up a conversation with your friend about how you're feeling, and then you can determine between the two of you whether some sort of payment is an option. ... View more

I can really imagine that it would be really upsetting for you to not know how your child is feeling @Mikismum - Do you have any idea when she started feeling low at all? ... View more

Hey @Mintymid, to my knowledge, I believe that you can access these services through the NDIS program. I have linked the NDIS's page on services they can provide funding for here. It may be worth giving them a call to explore your options and see if your funding could possibly be increased ... View more

@DESTROYED, that sounds like it would have been incredibly difficult for you to deal with, and I can totally understand why you feel as though you need to distance yourself for the time being. Even though it can be really stressful, sometimes we need to take a break from our family - especially if they continuously cross our boundaries. Have you been able to get any professional support yourself by any chance? It would be really hard to bare that emotional burden by yourself, so it might be a good idea to be able to talk to someone about how you feel  I can also see how you'd also be feeling immensely stressed and concerned @Sheisinthere. Even though BPD is a really hard diagnosis to live with sometimes, stability, growth, and happiness is possible for everyone. Even though your daughter might be going through a tough time right now, letting her know that you are there for her emotionally, and that you will always love and support her will always help, even if it doesn't always feel like it ... View more

Hey @Ajackson, I can hear that you're feeling pretty concerned about your son being quite different from you in personality, but from the sound of things, your son sounds like a happy and healthy kid who just happens to have different interests. It can be concerning for us as parents when we see our child not having the same experiences as we did when we were young, but there's often nothing to worry about. If your son is happy and content with himself, there's no need to push him to do things that he doesn't resonate with. ... View more

I can only imagine how concerned and stressed you must be feeling @Ajay18, it can be so hard to see our family suffer through mental health issues, especially when they are as intense as you described. While I'm not 100% sure exactly what the best way to handle the situation regarding your daughter's delusions/hallucinations, perhaps it would be a good idea for you to get in contact with your GP, I've also seen you're located in the UK, so you can also can visit the NHS 111 website, where you can ask questions about a specific disorder. I hope this helps! ... View more

Hey @Elica1016, moving towns is always going to be difficult, and I can really understand why you'd be feeling so uncomfortable and anxious about your daughter making friends and feeling happy or content in her surroundings. I think it's not a bad idea for her to keep seeing her old friends, but it might also be a good idea to encourage her to make new friends. Maybe it could be a good idea to check in with her and ask if there is any extracurricular activities that she's interested in, or maybe you could take a look and see if there are any youth community programs in your area? This might not just help distract her and provide her a place to make friends, but it will also be something to anchor her to her new town.  ... View more

That is incredibly hurtful @HurtingnSoCal, and I can only imagine how painful that would have been for you. Were you able to tell your son how much that comment had affected you? Was he able to understand where you were coming from? ... View more

Hey @Tomas, thanks for sharing what's going on for you right now :)    I think a lot of people can run into similar situations when they are living with their parents as adults, where the relationship can become a little strained, just because the parent/child dynamic can sometimes feel uncomfortable or odd for both parties when the normal "adult to child" relationship is replaced with an "adult to adult" relationship.  This definitely sounds like a situation it would be helpful if you and your mum were able to have a sit down chat together and share how you're both feeling, without it being passive aggressive or as a result of stress. It sounds like when your mum isn't drinking you have a really lovely relationship with her, so it might be best to approach her about having this conversation when she's sober. I also think your mum would really appreciate it if you asked her during that conversation what you could do to make her feel more appreciated. It might be a situation if you feel as though you need a little extra support in remembering to help around the house, to organise a consistent "cleaning day" where you can both do everything at the same time and neither of you feel unfairly treated :)  It also sounds like you're both struggling a little with your mental health - are either of you guys seeing any professional supports at the moment? ... View more

Hey @Taurteago,  I can imagine it would be really frustrating to have your mum constantly trying to correct/dismiss your parenting style, particularly when you've found iti's worked really well for you so far. From what it sounds like you're someone who really loves and wants the best for their child, and at the end of the day I think that's all that really matters. I am sure in a couple of years time no one will even remember the little things like when you decided to take the baby gates off etc. It might be a good idea to tell your mum how her comments are making you feel, and that they aren't appreciated or asked for. While I am sure it won't be the easiest of conversations, it might be best to let her know that the constant bickering is really upsetting you, and that at the end of the day, your son is your child, and you are allowed to raise him in a way that works best for both you and him.  I hope it goes well! Let us know how you go :) ... View more

Hey @Jaytag, that is really concerning and I can really imagine that you must be very worried for your daughter right now. One of the best things you can do for your daughter right now is to remain being supportive and caring in the same ways you described. It might also be a good idea to have a chat with her about whether there was any more tangible reasons why she goes back to him (e.g. finances etc.), and whether that was something you could help with. I also just wanted to quickly ask how old your daughter was? ... View more

I am so sorry to hear that your grandson has been struggling at the moment @Grandsonnumber1 , it sounds like things are a bit tough for him right now. He is very lucky to have a grandparent like you who cares so much :) I was wondering if you've been able to have a conversation with him about why he's feeling this way, and for how long it's been going for? It might help to get a better sense of how to support him right now ... View more

That sounds like an incredibly difficult experience for both you and your family @Putu1957, and I am sorry to hear that your grandson has been struggling so much. I am glad to hear that you have a session booked with a psychiatrist, as it sounds like he may need some professional support to help him get through how he's feeling currently. I was wondering if you had any idea why he may be feeling this way at all? It might be a good idea to try and find out what is making him so terrified of school, and then work backwards from there to try and figure out how to best approach the situation  ... View more

That does sound like an incredibly difficult situation, and I can really understand why it might be making you feel concerned or uncomfortable @Minhle. While it seems really simple, it might be a good idea for you to have a really open and honest conversation with your daughter and explain why you're concerned, and how some of her behaviour is making you feel. It's really important in these conversations to also give ample space for your daughter to also share who she's feeling, and why she feels motivated to do these things. By being honest and really, really listening to each other, it might even be possible to find some compromises between the two of you where you both feel secure, safe, and validated.    Something that might also be beneficial is a one on one professional parent coaching service, which can give you some support and advice on how to tackle some of these really difficult challenges that can come up with our children. It's a free service for Australian parents, where you can speak to a professional counsellor who works with the Benevolent Society, to figure out how to best approach this situation.  I hope this helps!! ... View more

Hi @George96, I can imagine that this would have been a bit difficult for you to share, so I really appreciate you talking about what's going on for you right now     It sounds like things are really overwhelming and exhausting for you right now, and I can only imagine that this would be amplified not only from the fact that you've only recently given birth, but also that your partner is going back to work. I can also imagine that feelings of guilt and shame around feeling this way could also be making things worse as well.    While I definitely can't make any sort of diagnosis, I would really advocate you to speak to your doctor, as it sounds like you may be experiencing some symptoms of postnatal depression. This is something that is extremely normal among new mothers, and 1 in 9 people will experience postpartum depression. It's something that can without a doubt make you feel isolated, hopeless, and empty, but there is help available I noticed that your IP is from Adelaide, so I've checked some of the services that might be relevant for you. I believe that there is a Postnatal Midwifery home visiting service for those who have recently given birth. Another really fantastic resource is PANDA which is an Australian organisation which specialises in giving support to parents and families experiencing anxiety and depression during and the first year after pregnancy. They also have a hotline that operates Mon-Sat, 9am-7:30pm AEST   I really hope this information helps at all, but please don't be afraid to let us know how you're feeling and to check back in at any time ... View more

Hey @ms_alwayssad , that sounds like it would be really scary, and I can only imagine how concerned you'd be feeling right now. In general it's always better to err on the side of caution and believe what your child is saying. Regardless of whether they do or do not want to die, it sounds like they're really struggling right now, so it's really important to check in with them and support them.  It might be a good idea to have an honest conversation about why they're feeling that way. Have they explained further at all why they're having these thoughts? It's also a really good idea to get them in contact with your local GP, just in case it is something serious. I hope this is helpful <3 Please keep us updated! ... View more

It sounds like you're in an incredibly difficult position @Riley89, and I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to be dealing with the loss of your son, as well as trying to work out how best to support your family right now. I think there are definite pros and cons to both, and it wouldn't be an easy decision to make by any stretch. I think a good place to start could potentially be to write a pros and cons list and talk about it with your family - this isn't a decision you have to make alone! Is there any chance that you could get a job that isn't one of the two you've mentioned, that would still be close to home, but put you in a bit better of a position finacially? ... View more

Hi @123abc456def That sounds like a really tough situation for both you and your daughter, and I can imagine it would make you feel really concerned. I was wondering if there was any chance that you've seen a doctor about this issue yet? ... View more

Hey @SophStressed, I can only imagine how demoralising this whole situation for both you and your daughter, particularly since it sounds like you're trying so hard to make things better for her. It totally makes sense that you're feeling really concerned about your daughter not being her bright and bubbly usual self, but unfortunately this might just be a facet of the healing process. Because her body will be dedicating a lot of energy just to getting better, she might just not have the energy to be her normal self. Additionally she's going through a really rough time right now, so it makes sense that she might be feeling a bit down. You're doing a great job at being a supportive parent, and I'm sure she knows and values how much care and love you have for her! ... View more

Hey @concernedmother, thank you so much for sharing your story with the forums. It sounds like you and your family are a really difficult situation at the moment, and I can hear that the tensions are extremely high at the moment.  I am a bit concerned about the violence that you've mentioned that's been happening to your daughter. It's really important for a growing teen to have a safe and supportive environment to come home to. Not having this can really damage a child's sense of safety and security, and it can in turn lead to them having long term mental health issues in the future. I was wondering if you have spoken to your husband about this, and changing his behaviour around physical aggression? It also sounds like your daughter is struggling a bit emotionally at the moment as well, and not coming out of her room could be a response to being depressed, stress, or her own trauma. It could be a good idea for her to be able to access some mental health services - are there any available for you in your area? I also wanted to check in with how you're feeling currently - it sounds like your having an extremely stressful time at the moment, and I can imagine that trying to keep the peace between your child and your partner would be extremely exhausting - do you have anyone you can talk to or lean on for support at the moment? ... View more

Hey @Birdwings,  I think your suggestion is definitely a great idea and I'll be sure to let the rest of the ReachOut team know! Forecast planning is really good way of not only preparing yourself and your family for a number of decisions/situations that might occur, but it also allows you to empathise with your child and consider the sort of pressures they might be going through.  I was wondering if you wanted to share any ideas or information about the forecast plan you made for this situation? ... View more

Hello @Canada1970, thanks for giving us a bit of an update on what has been going on for you and your daughter lately. I am sorry to hear that you are still experiencing issues with the ex saying bad things about your daughter. That sounds like a really awful situation for you to both be in. It is nice that your daughters’ friends have been there for her and supporting her around some of the accusations that have been said. I hope that your daughter does not have to experience these issues for much longer as it sounds like a very hard thing to experience. It sounds like you and your daughters’ friends have been very supportive of your daughter so far, which is really awesome. I am sure your daughter appreciates it too. It is also really great that your daughter will be seeing a therapist on Monday, I hope that she finds the extra support to be helpful during these times   ... View more

Hello @Hummbird, sorry to hear that you have been having these concerns lately. I can understand that you have been feeling concerned about your son and his wellbeing. I am wondering if you have had a chance to have a discussion with your son about your worries regarding him being able to drive alone? You might find opening up a conversation with him to be useful as you can let him know of your concerns and hear anything that he might have to say about them. ... View more

Hi @YJK84,  That sounds like an incredibly difficult situation, and I can only imagine how scared, confused and frustrated you must feel right now. I just wanted to double check if/which state you live in, if you live in Australia. You're welcome to use the forums if you are from overseas, but it could help us give you some more in depth information about various support services :) Being unable to contact your son sounds like a very strict and aggressive policy, I was wondering if there were any other options you were able to discuss with his therapist? Or if he's old enough, start conversations about transitioning to living out of home in a more traditional sharehouse. Have you been able to speak with him about his thoughts on the situation? ... View more

Hi @sltolson,    I can only imagine how difficult that must be for you and your daughter. It's so exhausting, scary and stressful when those we love are struggling with their mental health - and I'd say that it's even worse when it is our own children. It sounds like you're doing all the right things for your daughter How long has she been seeing her psychologist? Have there been any improvements since she began? I would also definitely advocate for you getting some professional support for yourself, as we can often forget just how heavy a burden it is to support someone, until we are able to actually stop and reflect ... View more

Hello @S352151, thanks for sharing. Deciding on whether to send your son to school or kindergarten would be a big decision. I think there would be both pros and cons to sending him to school next year or the year after as it will mean that he would be younger than most of his year level and his peers/friends or older than most of his year level and peers/friends. It might also depend on some of your son’s social skills and whether you might think sending him to kindergarten to develop some more of the skills might be worthwhile. I am wondering if you have had a chance to discuss this with anyone else yet? You might find talking to a friend or someone from your child’s current day care (if he goes to day care) to be helpful as they might be able to share some advice or thoughts on this situation. I hope that these ideas have helped you out! ... View more

hey @Ressamm20,  Thank you so much for sharing your story with, us, it sounds like you're dealing with a really difficult situation and I can understand why you're feeling so anxious about things right now. From the sounds of it, your son is just working through all of the different stages of a first "real" relationship. It's important to remember that while sometimes it can seem a bit extreme and overwhelming from the outside, it's an experience we all have to go through. I think what might be  most helpful is if you keep showing your son how much you love him, keep being consistent, and keep showing him and his girlfriend respect (even when they don't necessarily show it back!). By doing this you are showing that you trust your son and his decisions, and if he feels trusted he's a lot more likely to come to you for support and advice in the future.  ... View more

That does sound like an incredibly difficult situation @LRH14, would you be able to share a little bit more about your specific situation?  ... View more