gigemJTH12 said:
forgive me if being too personal...is she single?
I know that in these times being single for someone her age can be tough if she is on social media. seeing everyones "perfect life" of getting engaged, married, pregnant can be tough for someone who is single.
creates a false perception that she is "behind" in life.
Very common and its sad.
And stepping away from social media is tough for people that age. I get it.
Amen. Get off all social media until stable enough to discern what's productive and what's BS. Most of it is BS. Stop staring at devices for extended periods.
Additionally, we had a pretty rough road with my daughter when she turned 16. We went from top level, club soccer player, G&T student to out of control, precipitous decline into self-destructive death spiral. We ended up making the brutally hard choice to have her taken to Wilderness Therapy and then a year in a Residential Treatment Center/School in Utah. We were convinced that she would be dead by the time she was 17 if we hadn't done what we did. She just turned 22, and while it hasn't all been glorious progress, she is 100% better today than she was then.
I share all that background to share this: properly diagnosing mental health disorders and then treating them effectively is like trying to rope the wind. We went through several therapists and different diagnoses until we finally found a good therapist at the RDC in Utah. After she left Utah and came home, we went through two more therapists, but she has made good progress and as recently as last week, the new therapist and the psychiatrist who she had seen recently collaborated on a new diagnoses that we all agreed seems to be the best and most accurate diagnose she's had. They are zeroing in on what is called Complex PTSD. And it started with a traumatic leg break at a soccer camp when she was 12. So, 10 years after that event, we are finally figuring it out.
Finding a good therapist/counselor with specific experience working with someone like your daughter is absolutely key. I would recommend trying as many as it takes until she connects with one. When it happens, you will know it. If you have any hesitations, find another one. I know that's hard, but otherwise you are wasting time and potentially even going backwards.
Lastly, pharmaceuticals have their place in a therapeutic program, but they are only part of the solution. The key to a long term improvement is effective therapy coupled with the appropriate drugs. And good therapy is HARD. It can be exhausting and emotionally draining, but if it's just unicorns and rainbows when you come out of therapy, then you're doing it wrong, in my opinion. At least that has been our experience.
Don't lose hope. It will get better.
