Mental Health Support

I am 30 years old and have been dx since I was a teenager with sever mental illness, including BP and BPD. When I was still a teen my parents chose my therapist for me, my dad kept looking until he found someone who wouldn't put up with my crap. Once I became an adult, I kept looking for therapist until I found someone who won't put up with my crap. My mental illness has been hard on me and my parents. I went to a private college right after high school and failed out, due to a .87 GPA. I have been hospitalized over 30 times since I was 15, up to 9 in one year. I applied for and was approved for SSDI, without any problems.

I am now going to school. I ended up going to a community college to boost my GPA. I am now president of honor society and going to school to get my degree in human services. I had to pay for some of my own classes when I started back until I was able to take care of the "bad" debit that I accumulated at the private school, but my parents payed for them. I had to start by taking one class at a time, at the direction of my therapist. This gave me a chance to slowly get back into school. I didn't do all that well at first and took some incomplete grades in the first few classes due to being in the hospital. I was always up front with my instructors and let them know what was going on. I wouldn't be where I am today without the support of my parents and my therapist.

My journey has been hard on my parents though. They have had to, and still sometimes do, deal with my cutting and suicide attempts. They have had to watch meds work and fail. I have had bad side effects or meds that stop working after a while. They have had to deal with me wanting everything or nothing to do with them, and that can change in a matter of hours. They have dealt with the debit that I piled up at a private college and paying for the classes at a community college as well. They have dealt with the SSA with me and all the other agencies, like DHS and Section 8, that I have come into contact with being on SSDI. They had to deal with not being able to pick out my therapist and trusting my decision. Despite all that they always told me that they loved me. It was never a doubt in my mind. That is the best thing that they did for me. No matter if I was telling them I hated them they would say "I love you" right back to me or if I tried to kill myself. They loved me through it all. They also supported me in every way they could. They would give me their opinions but allow me to make my own decisions.

My advice for you is make sure your daughter knows you love her and you will support her. Advocate with the therapist office to get someone who can see her soon, if needed, and help her find someone who fits well with her. Encourage her to start off slow back in college or start at a community college where it is cheaper. Finally, get help for yourself to deal with her, if you need it. You will be no help to your daughter if you are not healthy yourself.

MB