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mumto2
Senior Contributor

Me and my family

Hi I thought I would add some info about me and my little family.

I am a single mum and have a 21 yo daughter and a 17yo son

       My daughter has had multiple health issues starting with depression and anxiety due to school bullies from the age of 8yo. 

  She started seeing a psychologist at 9 after her first suicide attempt. And continued to see this same psychologist up until August 2019.  Half her life at that stage.  My daughters depression and anxiety never improved, if fact got worse as the Bullying was never properly addressed. Instead focus was continually put on her father not being in her life. No medications help her mental health. At around 14yo She started have seizures and other physical health issues which eventually led to a diagnosis of FND. ( Functional Neurological Disorder) This disorder causes the brain to send wrong signals to the body and creates a whole host of physical symptoms with no biological cause.( all tests return normal reselts). She has had periods of paralysis, seizures, Inability to speak, swallow, walk. He only current symptom of FND is chronic lower leg pain,which thankfully medication manages. 

  She has an inverted sleep cycle which means she sleeps much better during the day and is wide awake and alert during the night. 

The psychologist she had been seeing changed jobs so She was given a new psychologist who after just 5 visits said I can't help you so i am signing you off my books. Dumped , just like that.

      She was recently diagnosed with PTSD and is now on Disability Pension. She sees a fantastic Psychiatrist now who has been wonderful, even finding a medication that has helped her anxiety  She also has POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycadia Syndrome) which is the bodies inability to properly control heart rate. She currently sees a Cardiologist Proffessor who has a special interest in POTS . He is in Sydney so requires 8 hour round trip Thankfully she is on good medication and this is now being maintained well enough for her to be able to so basic self care.  This is in Sydney so requires 8 hour round trip

   Her most recent health concert in possibilty of DID ( Dissociative Identity Disorder) seeminlgy to my uneducated eye, triggered by phone calls, she seems to switch to a 4 or 5 yo child. She has no recollection of the time passed when she has had the Alter come forward. lost hours of her days.  This has happened twice in the last month and will be our focus at the next psychiatrist appointment

  Very recently she has been refferred to Flourish and will soon be getting some social support and maybe help to gain access to NDIS

Its sad that at 21 she has never been able to finish school do any Tafe or Uni or get a job. She always planned to be a nurse but instead has spent years on the other side of medicine being studied and treated.  I do hope one day she can fullfill her dream.

          My son has Depression and Anxiety. He has been an amazing support to his big sister but it has taken its toll on him emotionally as well.

  He also has an eating disorder known as ARFID, ( Avoidance/Restrictive Food Intolerance Disorder)  he has a limitted diet of about 15 foods but is currently doing well and healthy. regular blood tests keep on top of any problems. 

I also had him assessed for Autism at 15 but the specialist he saw never wrote the final letter before leaving the practice she was working out so now I am stuck with funding a whole assessment again. He is currently in yr 12 at school HSC and Hopes to go to UNI next year. He has admitted he is very anxious about that and wants us all to move to the city of his preffered University. 

   Now me.. I enjoy photography, am mostly an introvert. Love to stay home , but will be gone for hours if I go out with my camera.  Havent had much opportunity lately with the Corona visus restrictions. I was diagnosed in my early 30's with Coeliac Disease, and had Oesteoporosis, but with diet and healthy living that has been improved. We are all Lactose intollerant. I have 5 siblings and am the youngest . But don;t feel so young anymore, heading towards 50 and slightly freaked...  I have been married but only for 4 years He was a control freak and having been independant for 13 years prior that just didnt work for me, and he was unsupportive of my kids health needs. Divorce was the only option. I enjoy gardening but sadly am not very successful at it, recently discovered succulents are my thing. They are easy to grow and nurture...

Anyway I will get off now. Sorry for looong post. 

Have a great day ... 

6 REPLIES 6

Re: Me and my family

hello and hugs @mumto2 

thank you for sharing your story 

and letting you know you are not alone my friend 

I love growing succulents too 

@Appleblossom@outlander@Faith-and-Hope 

Re: Me and my family

Hi @mumto2 and welcome to the forums 👋

 

You have had a long and difficult time of it, with so many issues between all of you ..... 

 

Some of those issues I am very familiar with - eating disorder, controlling behaviour, and psychosomatic reactions, within our family for instance.  I am only recently separated though, but essentially raised our children as though single, owing to the workaholism of my estranged husband.

 

Iit sounds like you have been managing as well as humanly possible under the circumstances.  Are there self-care activities that you invest in to help support you re. stress levels ?

 

I am glad you found us here.  The forums bring about a sense of being not so alone.

 

 

Re: Me and my family

@Shaz51, Thankyou.

Re: Me and my family

@ Faith-and-Hope Thanks for your support. I have got through 21 years basically on my own. Haven't ever used respite and my kids have probaly spent now more that 2 or 3 nights with grandparents a dozen times over 21 years. I don;t have anything but a calm mind and photography to keep my sanity and health in check. I can lose hours by going out with my camera. This may change soon as daughter has been recently picked up by Flourish mental health care support , which is how I found this forum.
Its nice to have found this page

Re: Me and my family

Hearing you @mumto2 ..... and pleased that your daughter has been picked up by Flourish, and that you were guided to the forums.

 

The forums were recommended to me by an eating disorders support service, as my Soon2BX who took off with someone else six months ago, has massively disordered eating and exercise issues.

 

Before the current versions of disordered eating set in, he was diagnosed with BED, and it was his self-management of a weight-loss program and self-medicating around the issues this brought with it that caused a complete, progressive decline of our circumstances.

 

One of our five now-adult kids has a major disability.  After having next to nothing to do with the raising of our kids owing to his workaholism, he is now vying for time with that one, to place her with his new partner and her young children as his new family, vindictively, as a way of continuing to exert control over our relationships.

 

Our two youngest are suffering from anxiety and depression.

 

Being here, amongst other people who understand the issues and complexities, really helps.  I hope you find that too ....,

 

Re: Me and my family

Hi @Faith_and_Hope 

Sounds like you have an awful lot on your plate too. 

I hadn't heard of BED so had to google it then realised I had. Simple shortening.

 

I am glad you find comfort here. It will probably take me a while to get used to the space, but thats OK. 

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