Hey @Dendrobium  Thank you for being so honest about what has been going on for you. It sounds like there has been a lot going on for you all and it is understandable how challenging this must be for you all to be navigating. I am really glad that you have found our community and have been able to reach out for some support. I know you mentioned that your son has autism, ADHD and trouble with emotional regulation and I was wondering what supports your son currently has and if he is seeing a GP or mental health professional? If so, have you been able to speak to them about what has been going on to see if they have any advice? I wanted to let you know that ReachOut offers a free coaching service for parents which you and your husband may be interested in. We have some more information about it here. I also wanted to share some resources we have here around family conflict which I thought you may find helpful to have a look through. Amaze also have some information and support for parents of children with autism that is worth checking out too. I was also wondering if you have any support for yourself at the moment and if you have anyone to talk to about this, whether it be a friend, family member, GP or mental health professional? It is important that you also have all the support that you need as you don’t have to be dealing with this on your own. Ps. we have also sent you an email to check in, could you please keep an eye out for that? Take care and remember that we are here for you and you aren’t alone.  ... View more

Hey @Hope_4  It is great to hear that you will be booking in a coaching session this week! I know you mentioned that you were researching around ADHD, and I thought I would share a post we have here around ADHD as well as a collection of resources we have here. I thought you might find these helpful to have a read through. We also have a youth community here which your daughter may be interested in joining. We have some spaces specifically for our neurodivergent community. We also have some resources around ADHD for young people here. Take care and all the best with the coaching service. ... View more

Hey @Ariel123  Welcome to the Parents and Carers Community! Thank you for being so open and honest about what has been happening for you lately. It sounds like there has been a lot happening with your daughter lately which I am sorry to hear. It is understandable how difficult this must be for you and I can hear how hard you are trying to support her. I know you mentioned that your daughter has been seeing a psychologist which is really good to hear. I also know that you mentioned that your daughter has been self-harming for about 2 years which I am sorry to hear. I was wondering if your daughter’s psychologist has been able to support you both with this? I wanted to share some resources we have here around self-harm which I thought you may find helpful. It includes some articles for parents around self-harm as well as some positive coping skills and stories from other parents. I know that you also mentioned that your daughter has been refusing to go to school. School refusal is something that a lot of parents and carers experience and you are certainly not alone in feeling this way. I was wondering if you have tried to talk to your daughter about why she doesn’t want to go to school? I was also wondering if you have been able to speak to the school about this and if they have been able to provide you with any additional support? I wanted to share this post with you that has some resources, information and tips about school refusal which you may find helpful. If you would like some additional support, ReachOut offers one-on-one support sessions for parents and carers. If this is something you would be interested in signing up to or would like to learn more about, we have some information here. I also wanted to check in to see how you are coping with all of this? It sounds like you have been doing everything you can to support your daughter and it is important that you also have support for yourself. Do you have any supports for yourself or have you been able to talk to someone such as a friend, family member, GP or mental health professional? We have also sent you an email to check in, could you please keep an eye out for that? Thank you again for reaching out. Take care and we look forward to hearing back from you soon.   ... View more

Hey @Gretchen  Welcome to the parents and carers forum! Thank you for being so open and honest about what you have been going through, it sounds like this has been having a big impact on you and I am really glad that you have found us and have been able to reach out for some support. I am sorry to hear that you are feeling this way and want to reassure you that how you are feeling is very normal and understandable. Many parents who have been through something similar also experience these same feelings of guilt and regret and you are certainly not alone in feeling this way. From what you have shared, it is very clear how much you love and care about your daughter and she is lucky to have someone in her life like you. It sounds like you were able to seek some support for her – which is really great to hear. I was wondering if you are receiving any professional support for yourself at the moment, from either a GP or mental health professional? If not, do you think this might be something you would consider? I am mindful of the impact that this is all having on you, and I want you to know that you don’t have to overcome these feelings alone. I wanted to share this article with you that I thought you might find helpful to have a look through, it provides some things that you can do to look after yourself as a parent. I also wanted to share a resource we have here where another parent shares about their own experience with their child self-harming. It is important to remember that what has happened is not your fault and does not make you a bad parent at all. I can see how much you do care from what you have shared, and the reason this is impacting you so much is because of how much of a loving and caring mother and parent that you are and your daughter is very lucky to have you. I want to remind you that you are not alone and that we are all here to listen and support you as much as we can. Take care. ... View more

Hey @Kevadiep  Welcome to the ReachOut Parents forum!  I am sorry to hear that your daughter has told you and your husband this, it is very understandable how heartbreaking that must have been for you both to hear. I am really glad that you have found us and have reached out for some support.  I was wondering if you felt comfortable sharing more about this with us Has your daughter ever said something like this to you before?  I was also curious about whether you might be aware of something else that might be going on in her life or if you have noticed anything different about her lately?  It is understandably something very different to hear as a parent, and it is very common for young people to say things in the heat of the moment that they don't mean. I was wondering if you have considered talking to her about what she has said and where this might be coming from. If you think it might be helpful, we have an article here on communication with teenagers that you could have a look through. Take care tonight and we hope to hear from you soon.  ... View more

Hey @CandyGirl  Welcome to the ReachOut Youth Community. Thank you so much for being so open and honest about what you have been going through, it takes a lot of courage to do and isn’t always easy so you should be really proud of yourself for taking that step. It sounds like you have had a lot going on in your life since you were very young and we are very sorry to hear this. We are really glad that you have found our forums and have been able to reach out for some support. I know that you mentioned that you have been feeling very lonely and I am sorry to hear this. Loneliness is something that we all experience and it can be really difficult to be going through and you are certainly not alone in feeling this way. I know you mentioned that your closest friends abandoned you over 7 years ago while you were pregnant and that must have been really tough to go through. I was wondering if you have ever considered joining any local mum groups, or even hobbies/groups in your local area? Sometimes it can be harder to form friendships as adults, but other times friends can come when you least expect it! I was also wondering if you have any professional supports of if this is something that you might consider? I know you mentioned that you have been diagnosed with C-PTSD, Depression and anxiety and was wondering if you have received any support for this such as through a GP or Mental health professional? If you would prefer to speak to someone online you can also connect with Beyondblue that provides one on one mental health support. I also know that you mentioned that you experienced a lot of abuse from your family growing up, and that you don’t want to share that part of your story which is very understandable. I did want to let you know that if you would ever like to talk about this with someone, and would like some one on one support you can contact 1800-Respect. They are a free domestic and family violence counselling service that is available 24/7. They also have a lot of resources on the website as well. It also sounds like you have recently been in touch with your emotions which is good to hear. I was wondering if there was anything else you have been doing recently to help prioritise your own wellbeing and take care of you? It sounds like you are already doing so much to care for your family and your dog, and it is also just as important that you are taking care of you and practicing some self-care. We hope you know that the Online Community are all here for you and you aren’t alone. We are always here if you are ever wanting to vent, or needing some support. We do care.  We look forward to hearing back from you soon. Take care.  ... View more

Hey @1984_  I just wanted to check in with you and see how you are going? I can hear how much this trip meant to your son and how much he was looking forward to it. It sounds like there has been a lot going on in his life the past few years and this was something that he was really looking forward to and had saved up for. It is very understandable how devastating this must be for you all, especially when you are so unsure about why he was rejected in the first place. I know you mentioned that you were not coping well on your last post and was wondering how you are coping with everything at the moment and if anything has improved? I can hear how much this is also impacting you and how much you are hurting for your son. Do you have any supports for yourself at the moment or have you been able to talk to anyone about how you are feeling? ... View more

Hey @sunmoonstars , I just had a read of your post and wanted to also jump on to welcome you to the online community! Thank you for sharing this with us.  I noticed that you mentioned that you have been struggling with your teenage daughter and was wondering if you felt comfortable sharing more about this with us? I was also curious about what supports your daughter has and if she is receiving any professional support with her BPD diagnosis? I wanted to share some more resources with you around Borderline Personality Disorder with you which I thought you might find helpful to have a look through. It is through Project Air and it includes multiple fact sheets around BPD and personality disorders. There is also a page on the website titled ‘Families, partners and Carers’ which provides some resources focused on providing support for BPD which you may find helpful to have a look through for yourself. I know you were also looking for other parents who may be experiencing the same and thought you might be interested in reading about some of our other community members experiences and maybe engage with some other parents and carers that might be going through something similar to you. If so, we have a forum thread here which might interest you. I also wanted to check in to see how you are going and whether you have any supports for yourself? Whether it be a friend, family member, GP or mental health professional. We hope you know that the Online Community are always here to listen and support you as much as we can. Take care and we look forward to hearing back from you. ... View more

Hey @1984_  I just had a read through your post and I am sorry to hear that your son won’t be able to travel tomorrow. I can only imagine how devastating this must be for him, especially since this was something he was really looking forward to. I know you mentioned that he has just come out of a deep depressive episode and it is understandable how much harder this must be for him – and how concerned you must be as a parent. It is very understandable that you are feeling the way you are, and that you are concerned about him. It just shows how much you love him and want him to be safe – which is what every parent wants for their child. I know you mentioned that he is in another state and I was wondering if you know anyone else that lives close to him or supports in his life that could check on him while she is away? I was also wondering if you were aware of whether your son is receiving any professional support from a GP or mental health professional? I am also mindful of the impact that this must be having on you and was wondering if you have any supports for yourself or if there is anything you could do to help take care of you during this time? Take care ... View more

Hi @Mumtoboyandcat  Sorry about that!  Here is the link to the coaching service. Please let me know if you have any trouble with the link.  Also I just wanted to let you know that we have also sent you an email to check in with you. Could you please keep an eye out for that?  Thanks  ... View more

Hey @Mumtoboyandcat Firstly, I wanted to welcome you to our Online Community! Thank you for being so honest and open about what you have been going through lately with yourself and your son. I can hear how much you love and care about your son – he is very lucky to have you in his life. It sounds like you have been doing everything you can to support him and just want the best for him. It sounds like you have done the very best you can to get him some support for his ADHD and have tried very hard to continue to parent him compassionately. It is very normal and understandable that you have concerns about his future trajectory, this just shows how much you care about him and want the best for him. I am sorry to hear that you have had so much pressure from his father, and that he tried to control how you parent. That must be really challenging for you. It sounds like this has been a lot for you to be dealing with and it is understandable how overwhelmed and exhausted you must be. It is really important that you are also getting all the support available to you and taking care of you because it is just as important as your son getting support. I was wondering if you have ever considered talking to a GP or mental health professional for yourself? Or if there is anything you can do to take care of you and practice some self-care? Even if it is something small each day or week where you are setting time out for yourself to take care of you. I wanted to let you know that ReachOut has a free one-on-one support service where you can speak with a professional family and parenting coach. If you would like some more information about this or would like to book a session you can follow the link here. Do you think this might be helpful? Take care and we hope to hear back from you soon. ... View more

Hey @WMA24  Welcome to the parents forum! I am glad that you have found us and have been able to reach out.  It sounds like you are worried about your 3 year olds behaviour which is very understandable. I was wondering if you have tried talking to your GP or local family doctor about these concerns or if this is something that you might consider?  Majority of our resources are focused on teenagers aged 12-18 so most of our resources may not be appropriate or relevant although we strongly encourage you to have a look at the Raising Children's Network which provides free parenting videos, resources, articles and apps for children of all ages.  All the best.  ... View more

Hey @Boomba  Welcome to the ReachOut Parents and Carers Forum! We are really glad that you have found us and have reached out for some support. I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. I was wondering if you felt comfortable sharing more about your situation with us? I know you mentioned that your son has been angry and abusive towards you and I was wondering how long this has been happening for? It sounds like you have been trying really hard to change this and have tried to set boundaries and discipline but it hasn’t been working. I was curious about what supports you have, whether it be family, friends, GP, or health professionals, and if you have been able to talk to anyone about what you are experiencing at home? I was also wondering if your son is currently receiving any support from a school counsellor, GP or mental health professional? Also, we have sent you an email to check in with you, can you please keep an eye out for that? We hope to hear back from you soon. Take care, ` ... View more