Hi everyone - so glad to have this forum to drop in and see that we are not alone in our battles. Those who have been around here for a while would know that my 15yo daughter has been back at school since third term in 2012 and has been doing quite well after struggling since around the age of 7. She has had a boyfriend for the past few months (from school) and the relationship was a positive one, seemed to be helping her grow in confidence and they were really only seeing each other at school and once every couple of weekends. Last week there were a few issues they were trying to resolve, when out of the blue he ended the relationship on Saturday night over the phone saying he didn't feel mature enough for a girlfriend. Oh the fickleness of youth I don't know who felt more like crying, daughter or myself...... I felt sick with terror wondering how on earth I was going to get her back to school Monday to face this. Even in the lead up she was starting to struggle to get out of bed again in the mornings, as many of you know one of the main symptoms of anxiety/depression is wanting to sleep it away but not at the right times. So I just told her not to even worry about going in Monday morning after she had cried all day Sunday. I took half a day off and did get her to her TAFE course Monday afternoon. Tuesday, she got up earlier than she has in weeks which shocked me. Wednesday she refused to wake up but I eventually got her up and we were an hour late, today half an hour late. I know I should be grateful for the massive steps we have taken forward, but all my old anxiety is back - I don't think I will ever forget how it feels, but I am trying to keep it together for both our sakes. I don't know if she will ever be able to get up in the morning without a struggle.... all year I have been trying to get her to the school bus instead of having to drive over an hour to take her all the way to school and then drive to work, but at least I know the end is in sight as far as her formal schooling is concerned. She is enjoying her TAFE course one afternoon per week doing animal care and I know she will find the right fit in the end. My 89 yo mum has just spent 3 months in hospital for anxiety/depression and despite trying numerous medications, she is really no better off - in fact I think she was coping better at home. She will spend a few weeks with my sisters and I before trying to go home, but realises she may need to go into care. Her doctors recommended she try ECT treatment, and she was willing to, but after putting her through all the rigmarole, she went to theatre only for the anaesthetist to talk her out of it. If only they would come up with a cure for this dreadful disease.....

Hi Sandy,

Thanks for sharing the update on your daughter. I can just imagine how on edge you must have felt. We start to rely on someone or something that is helping our child and hope it isn't taken away.
Your daughter has come so far - it sounds like she might just go through a rocky patch like any teenager would after that and then get things rolling again. Night itmes and mornings never seem to be good for our kids.

You are very lucky that your daughter has the TAFE course she can attend - and has had the strength to do that.
(For those in the UK - TAFE are educational institutions a bit like your colleges in the UK I think, that have vocational tertiary courses in business, the media, IT and so forth.).

I hope things go ok. Let us know Sandy how things go. Your story is always one of hope for the rest of us. There will possibly always be some things that knock your daughter back. And being so sensitive to their emotions - going through so much more than the average person when rejected like your daughter has been.
Take care
Linda xx

Thanks Linda, things have not been easy the last few days. Daughter was obviously relying on this relationship more than I realised and is now spiraling out of control with her behaviour. She is in the anger phase and my older daughter and myself are the recipients at the moment. She is refusing to speak to me about the situation at all, spending every waking moment texting and speaking to her "friends" on the internet which is not helping her at all. I have been pressing her to go to school every day, but told her last night I would only be giving her 2 chances today and if she wasn't ready by a certain time, I would be going to work. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for her to face school when the boy is there and all their peers are having their say in what has happened. In normal circumstances, I would have no problem letting her stay home and nurse her wounds but for a child who has struggled with school refusal for so long, it is hard to know what is reasonable.....will let you know how we go.