SD suicidal and got CPS called on BM for the second time this month- stayed in hospital last night
DH came home last night and said that BM is waiting at the hospital for SD's evaluation as they wouldn't let her take her home from school. Apparently SD told the school counselor she doesn't feel safe at BM's and that she is suicidal.
I know I'm hated here (I am Charlie) but I have nowhere else to get advice or vent. Our daughter is 1 now and our lives have been great since we moved. We got SD a ticket to come up next month for spring break for 9 days but now BM asked if SD can live with us.
I am actually ok with it. DH and I have both been sober and are doing way better financially. He did say, though, that SD needs to understand that she can't just claim suicidal ideation to counselors when she's dissatisfied at home. I don't know how bad it is at BM's because I am completely disengaged but I know they've always clashed and SF is borderline abusive- not sure the extent.
SD has been telling DH that BM and SF constantly "pick on her" but she's also been saying that for years. I am on the fence: I would be ok if SD lived with us but is continued counseling going to help? BM truly seems at her wits end but SD coming to live with us would mean relocating 600 miles.
SD also recently wanted to chop all of her hair off and dye it a crazy color. I honestly am ok with it as she's nowhere near the age of getting a job so why not let her mess up her hair in high school? She also transitioned from a strict private school to a charter school and DH thinks her new friends are to blame for the suicide talk and wanting to change her hair.
My 16 year old sister also claims suicidal ideation and has cut herself but no serious attempts. Is it just the norm for kids to claim this nowadays? I have broached the thought of suicide in my early 20s but had no intention of following through and I know counselors must report it.
What the hell do I do?
Edit: DH also said SD's grades have been suffering.
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It honestly sounds like SD
It honestly sounds like SD WILL be coming to live with you. If she has called CPS on her mother 2x already... it might be going down soon.
I am so happy to hear that you and DH are sober and doing well with your 1 yr old! I hope that you guys can stay strong if she does bring all of this stress into your home.
What are the chances that all of the suicide talk is over her hair or rules that BM has? If that is the case, you are going to be in for it when she gets there.
Another option is a therapeutic boarding school. I have posted before about the 1 that I know of. One of my IT people has a child there due to emotional issues. The kid has a grant and the only out of pocket costs are travel for breaks and summer home.
https://www.calfarley.org/boysranch/ (It says boys ranch because it started as all boys, but it is for both genders)
SD had posted on Instagram
SD had posted on Instagram last year after DH had CPS called on him that she was "depressed" and felt really bad about getting DH "in trouble" and thought he was going to jail. I have no idea if she intended to get BM in trouble or was just venting to her counselor. As far as feeling unsafe and being suicidal- I have no idea. It just seems to be romanticized amongst teens nowadays. She has clashed with BM and SF for years so it's hard to say.
DH also told me that she called him asking if she can change her hair and he thinks it's too extreme but she doesn't take care of her long hair and refuses to try or says she can't. I suggested going with a long pixie/ short bob. She's always had short hair as a younger girl because she doesn't like maintaining it. I honestly don't see the problem with the cut but DH says she'll "look like a boy" (she wants to shave the sides) and thinks she's being influenced by her new friends. I told him you can't tell teenaged girls that they'll "look like boys" and come up with a short cut but not shaved as a compromise. Again, I have no idea why she even consulted DH because BM has never asked for his permission on these things before.
I think my maternal instinct is kicking in and I am feeling bad for SD but she can't be having CPS called to our home again. I was terrified they'd take my baby and I can't deal with that stress again. I don't know if counseling is helping and have no idea how she'd cope moving to a new state. I know right now I'm not being rational and have no idea what would happen if she acutally moved in permanently. It feels really surreal, to be honest.
I think you need to find a
I think you need to find a very good family therapist. Therapy on her own may not be enough to sort her feelings out.
I completely disengaged after
I completely disengaged after we moved because she has been reserved with me for at least 3 years. I still make sure she's taken care of but try to not get involved emotionally for my own mental health as I'm historically too involved. We used to do 50/50 but have no idea how I'd cope with 100%.
Looks like it’s going to be a bumpy road
If you are completely disengage from SD, How are you going to let her into your home. You know she is not going to change. You must get her meant help ASAP. Your DH must take on the responsibility of his DD. You. Realize she will be calling CPS on you.
You really want to put your life into a crazy thing. It's going to effect your marriage!!
I have no idea but BM even
I have no idea but BM even asked if she can live with us and that's huge- BM hates giving up control so must be at her wits end. SD could live with GBM and not have to move states but I'm not sure if that's an option. I am glad she went to the psych ward because threatening suicide is not to be thrown around.
How old is she?
Could she be checked into a group home/therapy center? That might help more than just running away from those problems to possibly have the same reaction to new problems.
She is 13 and is being
She is 13 and is being transferred to a psych hospital and will be there on lockdown for as long as it takes, I guess. DH said no one is allowed to talk to her.
I wouldn't do it. You and
I wouldn't do it. You and your DH are relatively newly sober. You have a helpless baby who needs for you to stay sober. You don't need the stress of a suicidal teenager. She has called CPS on you before. She calls CPS on BM. You don't need that. Your DH isn't a great parent. You are disengaged. How is this going to be a better situation for a troubled teen? I think you do everyone a disservice (except maybe BM, who I'd guess is happy to dump her problem off on you) by having this girl move 600 miles to live with you.
Your DH might be better to acknowledge he's not in a place to have his daughter live with him at this point and work with BM to find other solutions, whether that be more counseling, changes in her home, a therapeutic boarding school, etc.
I have no idea what the
I have no idea what the solution is. She is being held for an unspecified amount of time at the psych unit as of now. She said she feels unsafe with BM and BM won't confess any wrongdoing.
SD deserves to be properly
SD deserves to be properly placed with stable adults.
You wrote that you and dh are sober? How long have you both been sober and what where you using?
Boot Camp, Boot Camp, Boot Camp
Sorry this brat belongs in a Boot Camp (chanting)
What exactly did you expect
What exactly did you expect was going to happen? Your DH is a crap parent, and BM wasn't much better. Then your DH left BM to deal with it all, likely causing SD to feel abandoned. Absolutely none of this should be unexpected.
If she moves to your state, your DH needs to step the eff up and actually BE a parent. That means being sober, and curbing his anger, and taking SD to therapy, and having a reunification plan with BM, and working enough that he can provide insurance and her care, and be available to parent SD (and not running off to the computer for hours on end).
SD is troubled because her parents haven't extracted their heads from their backsides. BOTH have failed SD, and one of them needs to step up to help her, and ACTUALLY help her. Not just for her sake, but society's.
Yes, your SD is likely suicidal given all the crap her parents have put her through. Yes, she's also likely a pathological liar. Yes, she is also likely addicted to electronics. But these aren't failings on your SD - they are failings, equally, on her PARENTS.
What SD needs trumps what you want. You need to keep that in mind going forward.
I don't know what to do for
I don't know what to do for her. DH works 50+ hours so the parenting would fall on me again. I feel horribly for her but think her being in our home will cause a mental breakdown.
As I mentioned upthread, I
As I mentioned upthread, I don't think SD moving in with you and your DH is a good idea, but it is an especially bad idea if your DH is not going to step up and parent. You are going to have a toddler and a newborn, and parenting SD is NOT your job. I foresee chaos and resentment. Do you want your two kids to have a broken home, too? Things seem to be going well for your immediate family at the moment, so think long and hard before you agree to have SD come live with you. I could easily see ALL of your DH's children suffering should that occur.
Then maybe DH needs to move
Then maybe DH needs to move back to NM. Or he needs to find an apartment to live with her in. Or he needs to work fewer hours. Or he needs to find a higher paying job. If he'd stop smoking weed, his employment opportunities would increase because he could pass a drug screening.
He can also look into a babysitter or respite care. His kid is SICK. If she had cancer, what would he do? She has cancer of the mind that will kill her, either metaphorically or literally, if he doesn't step up.
He needs to work less to be able to handle her needs. Parents with sick kids have to work less. That may mean that you have to work more to keep your family afloat.
This is the consequence of your rash decision-making that many of us warned you about. Life is about to get very complicated and messy, and you're going to have to suck it up to deal with it. You have two kids that you need to care for, and a husband who will need your support. You're going to be the anchor in this, so you better start figuring out how to mentally prepare yourself. Therapy, babysitters, a self-care routine that doesn't involve drugs or alcohol, family support, support groups, friends - whatever mechanism will keep you sane needs to be evaluated NOW.
Don't just say you feel bad for SD if you aren't going to do anything about it. You felt bad for her before, and you pulled her father away from her anyway. You actively didn't want her visiting. You actively didn't want DH as involved as he was. Now you're reaping what you've sewn. My sympathy is very limited because we have told you for YEARS what would happen. You've had time to prepare and didn't. Now you better figure it out.
I think you may want to
I think you may want to consider going to counselling with your partner OP.
Would BM pay child support do you could hire a nanny one or two days a week (or put it towards an after school club/holiday care for the ‘troubled’ one). The responsibility doesn’t fall on you, it is the parents responsibility.
I am not writing this to
I am not writing this to start anything but only relying my own experience. I was suicidal at 13 and told no one and acted on it. I was again suicidal after the birth of my son from PTSD which was misdiagnosed as post partum depression. I attempted 3 times, once was very very serious and it really is a miracle I am here. I have spent many weeks in hospital talking to others in same boat. Majority of suicidal incidents happen without anyone knowing ahead of time. I now have a 19 year old that threw that card in our face while he was in high school, then again in the last 2 years (specifically last year, 3 times in a row, 1 month appart). He didn't attempt suicide and wasn't diagnosed with anything other then ODD, he has called the suicide line each time and told them he is thinking about it. Each time he did that, DH had picked up the slack for SS. First time, he didn't want to go to school so he called a suicide line. THen he didn't want to go to work and called the suicide line each time DH made him go to work. BAsed on what i know and what goes on in a persons mind and the low self worth and value when youre in that time of depression and state, I can spot inconsistancy in SS about what he claims/says and how his body language is. He walks like he is better then anyone, looks down at me mostly and even belches out loud while staring at me in a demining way. I am 120% sure all this was an act on his part to get what he wanted and DH allows him now (19 year old) to live with us, all expenses paid, doesn't have to work or go to school. We all have to walk on eggshells around him becasue when he is mad, we all feel it. He is the master in the house and we all must obey. Walks around at 3/4/5 am in the house opening and closing his flip knife constantly. So i agree suicide rates are high in teens, but some will use it to their advantage, it is very possible.
I could not
... live like that. Are you leaving or staying?
Having your SD live with you
Having your SD live with you would be a terrible, awful, very bad idea.
Stop thinking emotionally, and consider this: this skid is broken. She's damaged and has issues far above your H's skill set to handle. At thirteen, she is who she is. A teenager with these issues is going to need constant care and supervision, and your H works too much for that. You would get stuck caring for her, so BM and BD would get off easy while you carry the burden for them. Further, having her in your home would deprive your children of the peace and stability they deserve.
Historically, You've made a lot of decisions based on emotion rather than logic, and your H has been able to pressure you to go along with some of his not so great choices, too. But this is a hill to die on. I know, because I was in a similar situation. Five years of my life, wasted on a teen girl that someone else had broken. Four different therapists, one suicide attempt, thousands and thousands of dollars spent on expensive mental health treatment, thousands of hours spent trying to help that SD, and for nothing. But at least I had no other children to consider.
Charlie, you are a mother now, and that should change everything. You need to be fiercely protective of your bios. Be selfish on their behalf. They need your undivided attention and care, and deserve a calm, stable childhood. Having a mentally ill teen in the home is like having a dirty bomb go off - it permeates everything and affects everyone. They require a huge amount of energy, and can really put a strain on a marriage. Do you want your kids' earliest impressions to be of chaos and a distracted stressed out mommy? I developed medical and mental health issues of my own from the strain. You have to be ever vigilant with a suicidal teen, and never get a full night's sleep. And bonus - my SD got worse as she got older. Not better, not easier. She struggled with moving into adulthood, and could not launch at 18.
Absence and time have a way of softening/deleting bad memories. Read some of your old posts to re experience what you went through with your SD/BM/H in the past. You were miserable then, and there is zero reason to believe you would be any better off now when you have more responsibilities and demands on your time. You're looking down the barrel of Hell. Please be realistic and don't offer up your bios and yourself to be collateral damage in someone else's failed dynamic.
Thank you for this. I do know
Thank you for this. I do know it in the back of my mind but as you said, time and distance is probably getting in the way. I guess I'll see what happens once she's released sometime next week, if then.
Really, How do you really think you can help SD
You both work 50+ hours a week. Having a new born? Having CPS involved in your life and home. You may, possibly lose custody of your new born because of what SD is doing, DH is using illegal drugs.
This will most likely end your marriage, DH doesn't want to parent his kid now, he going to do less once SD starts her antics. She need a lock down mental health place. What are hard to find. Even lock down places has rules that patient have to follow. And unless you have great medical insurance it's going to cost thousands a week.
it's seems like DH can not take care of himself, Everything is going to fall onto you. She is going to take time away from the new born care.
Just say NO. DH can leave and do what need to be done, yes right, he not going anywhere. Unfortunately no one cares about SD. Remember you can not do more then the bio parents. Do not start trying that. SD may never get better. She could be this way for ever .
You don't even know what wrong with her ? After all this time no one has put the effort to find out what wrong. There no Magic pill. Some people just can not be helped.
You didn't want the child around
You didn't want the child around on even a part time basis before she became "troubled." Why do you think you will want her around now? I understand your urge to "help" - but you need to look at this realistically. Your DH is not a good parent, and from what you are saying doesn't seem to be willing to make any changes to become the kind of parent that his daughter needs. You are going to be over-whelmed with a toddler and a new-born and once the intial "newness" wears off, you are not going to want to parent a troubled teenager.
Please don't do this. It is not fair to SD or you or your children. It will not end well. You are not going to be able to fix this girl.
And your DH is not sober if he is still using pot.
How do I tell him this isn't
How do I tell him this isn't an option, then?
You Just Say It.
Woman up and say, "No, DH. I've given this serious thought, and it won't work. SD would be even more unhappy here, where she has no friends or familiar things, and you'd have to quit your job to care for her. We also are about to have a second baby, and I will not have the bandwidth to help with SD in any way. I understand if you need to go to NM periodically to be involved with her treatment, but that's the way it has to be." Then refuse to discuss it, and hold your ground.
This is perfect
This is perfect. You just need to be direct. Tell him you are happy to have her visit, but it is just not going to work for her to move in.