Ready to do it all over again ...

This is so awful, I'm so sorry this is happening to you and DS. I had the police turn up one day out of the blue about two years ago. One of my ds's had been texting a friend and the friend contacted police worried about him. My son had told his friend that he didn't see the point in living. The friend called the police as they didn't know what else to do, my son was about 16 at the time. I deal with some mental health in my job as a midwife but my mind went blank and I didn't know what to do. The police just said take him to a&e which I did. They got the crisis team involved and everything escalated from there. It was a rapid response and very very good. They gave him medication and were in contact with him regularly. They only contacted me if they had his permission to update me or if he didn't answer his phone. He had counselling for about a year. Most of it was about his dad who he stated during our wait in a&e that he hated his dad and had done for years. My ex husband is an almighty !!!! and DS hated what his dad did to our family. My son is now 19 and in USA working in a kids camp. The year of counselling helped him as well as time and the medication.

Maybe seeing the crisis team is an option for you if he says these things again. It is so difficult at his age, difficult to give a young man adult wisdom. I would definitely take him to a&e if he does this again.

My heart goes out to you. Being told to hide knives and medication from your child is alarming and very scary.

Oh BenBen, I'm so sorry.

I have no experience of your personal situation, but I do have experience of being the person suffering with a mental health crisis. I don't know if you know this but four weeks ago I was signed off work for 28 days due to stress, anxiety and depression. I return to work tomorrow.

Yes, I am 28, not a teenager, but I have been suffering with mental health difficulties since the age of 10 when my friend passed away from leukaemia. I was offered no grief counselling and my dad made me feel that my grief was unnatural. I had no one to turn to and as a result I suffered all throughout my teenage years and into adulthood and had to reach some pretty desperate points before I went to the doctors to be prescribed medication or be taken seriously.

In the last four weeks I have explored every avenue regarding my mental health - looking at diet, exercise, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling and an increase in medication. I would still say I am not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, but I am no longer making myself ill with anxiety about it.

The way my OH describes what has happened in the last four weeks is that he is glad it happened because I am finally getting the help I need, and at least at this moment in time my steps seem to be working.

What I want to say is as horrible this situation must be for you, and it is horrible, I want to try and give you a bit of hope that this may be a way for DS to get the help he needs to stop it getting worse.

I am so sorry for what you are going through and I hope it all works out for you and DS soon.

Kittenkirst wrote: »

Ben Ben, so sorry to hear what your family are going through.

My older brother has mental Heath issues since a young teen, a lot has gone on (too much to bore you with), but, I just wanted you to know you aren't alone in this. Glad to hear you are getting a little more support now for him.

I'm not sure if it's your cup of tea but it may be worth you reaching out for support for yourself too as this is a very difficult thing you are experiencing x

I second this, you should look for support for yourself too, it won't be easy for you, I make sure my long suffering OH has plenty of time to off load with his friends without me there so that he can de-stress. I'm not sure how helpful they will be but you could maybe look for a mental health support group, there is a website/app called Meet Ups where you can find local groups in your area for various things, there may be one on there.