I’m really struggling and could do with some advice from other mums who may have been through something similar.
My 9-year-old daughter has been having increasingly severe behavioural episodes. She is already known to services and has had support in place, and we have been trying the strategies we’ve been given. She is also waiting for further mental-health support following a recent GP referral. This I’d the second incident this week where I have phoned the police to keep everyone at home safe have gone to the GP to get the correct help and support.
The last five days have been absolutely brutal. She has been kicking off repeatedly, with episodes involving aggression, smashing things, threats, self-harm, and running away. At times we’ve had to separate her from her younger sisters to keep them safe. We’ve had police involvement several times, including today after she ran out of the house following another major episode. I was the one who called the police because we didn’t know where she was.
Today she had been smashing up the sitting room, so I asked her to leave the room and go downstairs because I was trying to keep things from escalating. She hurt her foot and it was bleeding, then she bolted out the door and ran off. She was lunging at me I had to keep putting my hand out to get her off me repeatedly. She went and told the neighbour i had hirt her.We were desperately trying to find her and a neighbour eventually came to tell us she was at their house. Police spoke to everyone separately and are referring the incident to Social Care. We have had all sorts of help in place for her nothing seems to help. We as a family are absolutely exhausted. She’s also awaiting an adhd/autism assessment.
I have also contacted Social Care myself in the past when things have become unmanageable. I am now considering asking for temporary respite/short-break care for my daughter while we wait for proper mental-health support to be put in place. I am not talking about giving up on her or wanting her permanently away from home — I love her and want to support her — but the whole household is completely exhausted and I don’t feel we can sustain this level of crisis.
Has anyone else had respite or short breaks arranged for a child because of severe behavioural or mental-health difficulties? How did you go about getting it, and what was the process like?
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar. Please be kind — I’m already feeling completely overwhelmed and just trying to find a safe way forward for my daughter and the rest of our family.
Source
I’m so sorry you’re going through this with your daughter, the social services I think would be the first port of call as you’re already involved with them. I hope you get answers, take care 🤗
Do you know where the behaviour is coming from? Is she being bullied at school? Going through anything personal ( completely understand not wanting to put it on social media) but this sounds more than just behaviour issues
First off I know this stuff is so hard to navigate but it sounds like you have a bit of help in the right areas, my only advice coming from a mum who’s daughter is combine ADHD bipolar and much more is they don’t want to be like that, medication helped my daughter big time but made her extremely skinny … She’s now 21 and come off it, the only thing that kept me going was that she can’t control this. She could have had something happen or hormones starting early etc if they think ADHD look up saffron for ADHD kids it’s natural
If they ask you to sign a section 20 ( i think it is ) saying it will give yiu some respite don’t sign it
She’s really struggling 😢. I know its hard. For you and her. Age 9 for girls, is a common age to go through hormonal and body changes, it can really effect moods, like lashing out/acting out, anger, confusion etc.
There’s seems alot more going on deeper than needs a huge amount of understanding and support. It can be so tough for young children in this world we live in. Sorry you’re both going through a difficult time right now.
I really hope you get the professional support thats needed to help.
I wish you both well.