Parenting Teenagers (12-18) Support Group

She needs to see a psychiatrist. The cutting is a mental health issue.

Hang in there Mom.

I agree with Mikeswife, her servere loss of temper my be a mental health issue as well.

Don't be afraid of her DX, I am Bipolar and I really wish I was Dx alot sooner in my life, it would have changed a great many things. My DX helped to understand so much about myself.

BUT...Get more than one opinion, and if they don't mesh, get another.

And remind her that you love her no matter what

It sounds like your daughter has some issues that you are not aware of, I think she needs to talk to someone about it whether it be you, another family member or even a counsellor.

There are some things that are getting to her and causing her to get into a temper, I don't think she deliberately means to attack you, I think it's more of you being in the wrong place at the wrong time, when someone gets in a bad temper like that they tend to take it out on someone.

You do need to address these issues sooner rather than later with regards to both her temper and her self-harm. Something is causing it and you do need to get to the bottom of it.

I wish you luck with this and hope it all works out for you.

Thank all of you for your responses. I am on the mend - physically anyway. I am also dx as Bipolar and on meds. Being that it is believed to be hereditary, she may very well have it as well.

I agree with everyone else. I too, was an honor student, played in band, numerous sports and president of student council. no one would have guessed my demons deep down. (I cut also) I had depression and still live with it everyday. i'm healthy now, but it took years. I would just advise taking her to see someone. You just never know.

She needs someone she can talk to. Get her into seeing a counselor ASAP.

I am a mother of a "cutter" it can go beyond just cutting to get rid of the pain. It is very addictive.

What have you done already?

I am a teen and though I have never cut myself I have had a very close friend who did so and I was very concerned for her. She loved to write, read, sing, listen to opera and choir music. All I could do is try and reach out to her and even when she didn't want to talk to me about what was causing her sadness that she always had a shoulder to cry on and that i would be there for her for whatever she needed. I would advise you to approach when she is in a good mood and let her know that she doesn't have to tell you what is going on but that you are there for her every step of the way no matter what. I realize that many other people are advising you to get her a psychiatrist or counselling of some kind. The friend who I was talking about as well as myself have gone through counselling and for both of us it was a very negative experience. I went into counselling for a different reason but I found it to be a a very medical, theoretical, cold sort of way of dealing with a very emotional problem. For both my friend and I it made us feel worse, I am not suggesting that that is the case for everyone, but please don't force her to go to counselling if she does not want to. My friend who was in a similar situation came to me saying that she hated her psychiatrist and that it had deepened her problems and sadness. It seemed that she just saw it as another problem that was bringing her down. In the end she pulled out of depression and stopped cutting. She said to me that it wasn't because of the psychiatry or counselling but because I was there for her all along and that just being there and listening and hugging her when she cried, listening when she had something to say, telling her that everything would be alright and that she was a good person made all the difference. It was the greatest feeling to see her pull out of her darkened state because of me. She helped me through some hard times too and she is the closest friend I have ever had.

My best of wishes to you and your daughter. I am sure that the sun will come out.

Lots of love,
honestyisstrength