[NuckingFutz]

I was just wondering if there have been a lot of teens who have requested mental health help and been denied access to mental help by their parents. If you or someone you know is in this situation, let's hear about it.

[Vibe]

I never asked for it, but it was recommended several times whenever I was forced to see school counselors. My parents did not think fondly of mental health professionals though, and didn't want to admit to themselves that there could be a problem. They pretty much just wanted me to 'get over it.' I had to admit I was suicidal (and be in college and sound pretty good otherwise) before my mom really opened up to the possibility of me getting help. And that was after years where I'd had severe mood swings, gone months without leaving my room and failed entire semesters, talked about seeing demons, etc. My dad still doesn't know.

[NuckingFutz]

The is really sad because suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among teens and wondered if this could be a contributing factor.

Not being able to get the help you need truly is tragic.

[JayS]

I'm not a teen anymore but if my father found out I went for help I would be in deep sh**. He thinks you shouldn't talk about these things to other people, just keep it to yourself.

[NuckingFutz]

Sounds like your father needs some help himself. Bless you both!

[Miss Laura]

I am kinda the opposite. My parents have tried for years for me to talk to someone about my problems. In the UK at the age of 16 you don't need your parent's permission etc. So I refused to go and would refuse to talk about it to anyone.

Now as an adult with more issues than previously I wish I had just listened to my folks. Ironically I pulled from them now I pull with them

[JayS]

Originally Posted by NuckingFutz

Sounds like your father needs some help himself. Bless you both!

I think so, but he's very old fashioned and won't listen to anyone but himself.... He's a real *** in my opinion.

[Karen1933]

I actually have the opposite...my 19 yo bipolar daughter refuses treatment/help etc. I believe she had some kind of break about 5 years ago and cut herself (one time only). I got her into individual therapy and us in a family therapy group. She would not cooperate in either.

It got so bad from there...she attempted suicide last fall and I had her committed. She would not cooperate with those docs either and they released her because she signed herself out. I don't think she even got evaluated.

So, now, it's pretty bad. But, she has hooked up with a local social service agency that focuses on mental illness and I'm hopeful she will get the treatment she needs. They have set up a psychiatric appt for her, but it's a month away. In the meantime, I hope they help her with housing, etc.

I've learned that you can lead a horse to water, but can't force them to drink...it's horribly painful to watch this and feel so helpless.

Sorry this is going on, Karen. I wish your daughter the best.

[Shangrala]

I'm pretty new to receiving therapy, (began my own just a month ago, 1 session a week). I feel that both my daughter and I could use it due to the abuse from her dad here in the home.
However, I feel because I'm new to it, I can't "push" it onto my daughter and hope for positive results, even though I know she can use it for her own self.

Instead, I have taken her with me to my sessions so that she can see for herself the benefits of therapy, (so long as you find a T that you click with, which I have).
I feel that strategy has worked out wonderfully, as my daughter has decided that she, too, can benefit from it and has asked to begin therapy of her own.

I know of many teens (my dot's online friends), who have expressed to me of their depressions, stresses, and thoughts of self harm/suicide.
It's a crying shame that so many teens are under such duress and who have parents who either turn a blind eye to their needs, or are incapable of being receptive to them.
The best I can do is to listen, suggest they turn to school counselors, if not to their parents, or the teen hotlines and check back with them to see how they're doing.

The #1 complaint of theirs is that their parents either do not have the time to attend to them, or that they don't understand...

Shangrala

[whoswho]

I have had a lot of difficulty trying to convince my parents to get me help over the years.

I’ve had an eating disorder off and on since I was 12 that has become much worse in the last year and a half. My social anxiety and depression have been so debilitating that I cannot leave my home—I even missed my own high school graduation because of this.

Yet, my parents have not noticed or simply ignored any peculiarities in my behavior. It was difficult, but I finally got up the nerve to ask my parents for help. Instead, my mom decided to relay my mental problems to my friends and family and turn around and tell me that she doesn’t have enough money to let me see a psychiatrist.

I understand my family’s financial problems, but I can’t help but feel insulted when she is willing to take our decrepit cat to the vet because of a sprained leg but is so reluctant to pay for my treatment. I had to get a teacher, my GP, and my T (who I see for free through my mom’s work) to finally convince my mom to make an appointment.

Luckily, I’ll be turning 18 in August and can avoid this obstacle.

[NuckingFutz]

[QUOTE=JayS;1414766]I think so, but he's very old fashioned and won't listen to anyone but himself.... He's a real *** in my opinion.[/QU Maybe he is an *** in your opinion because he hasn't gotten the help he needs to make his life happier.

[Runa]

I had been searching for therapy for 5 years. My dad is strictly religious and feels that mental health issues are between you and God, not to be discussed with any other human beings. I'm religious, too, but I realized that God's not going to magically solve everything for me, and that I had to put some work into it. I went to college, I'm in therapy now for a year, but my parents do not know this, thankfully. If they knew, I would be cut off completely. It's really a pathetic situation.