Daughter in hospital suicidal? How can I cope with this?

Question

I took my suicidal teenage daugher to a hospital early this morning (midnight or so). She went absolutely crazy...on the way to the hospital she tried to run away, she tried to strangle herself, and she tried to suffocate herself. They admitted her to the hospital for who knows how long. I've called at least 10 times today, but obviousley in her state, they won't let me see her. I'm so worried, I've just been sitting and crying all day, worried sick about my daughter. How can I cope with this? Any advice is appriciated

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear that. i was in the hospital for 3 months. i just got out this month. but how to cope is knowing she is in a safe place and there is nothing there that can hurt her. also if you Can let me know which hospital she is at i can give more info about it. i know its hard dealing with this. but just think she is getting the help she needs. i had to deal with mine for years. it started when i was 9 and now I'm 17. it was hard for me. i acutely shot myself in attempt of suicide. but I'm still here. the doctors saved me in time. but im lucky they did. or i would have missed out on alot.

She is getting the help she needs and it will mean alot to you when she gets out. also the way you feel is normal all parents feel that way when they have to do this. i know its rough but it is helping her, for me i never thought it would help me. but i was wrong it did help me out ALOT. i hope you can understand all this.

E-mail me i can have my mom tell you how to cope with it also.

Answer 2

This is certainly a very difficult time for you.You will have so many questions that cannot be answered at this time.You will wonder if you could have prevented your daughter from trying to take her life.For the moment you must accept that the hospital is the best place for her at the moment.she will get the professional help she needs.Even though you may feel the need to hug and comfort your daughter it is probably best to give your daughter some space.The staff on these floors are experienced in helping the patient but also helping the family cope with the situation.The best thing you can do for your daughter right now is take care of yourself so you can be supportive during her recovery.Be thankful your daughter is getting the help she needs.She will feel bad enough without feeling guilty for her actions.In all likelihood you could have done nothing to prevent this. You will feel like crying because you almost lost your daughter. I wish I could give you a hug and tell you it will be alright. You will make it through this crisis because you know you must be strong for your daughter.Do not deny your own emotional needs throughout this and seek support from friends and councelling if neededTake care.

Answer 3

I think the best thing for you to know is that you cant control what is happening in your daughter's head. I know you want to be able to make her better but you have to understand that she has problems that she cant even express. The first thing you need to do, the first moment you see her is tell her you love her and that no matter what she says or thinks you are going to be beside her all the way through this, and you Will both get through this. Just ask her to tell you the first thing on her mind right at that moment and start from there. Just be there for her and let her know you are there for her. And in the mean time while you cant do anything more to help at the moment just make sure you are aware of her location and health, other than that theres nothing you can do right now, so breath deeply and stay calm, stressing your self will not help her or you. good luck and i hope everything is ok.

Answer 4

I've been there. My daughter did the same thing and worse. Most hospitals will only hold her for a specific length of time; then she will be referred to a mental facility where a judge must make a determination as to how long they will hold her.
All of that is out of your hands. You have to be there to be supportive; hopefully she will agree to having you present during counseling sessions or will agree to have the doctor release findings to you (I think it depends on age; mine was older than a teenager). She may not admit to any drug usage but that could be part of the problem. It may show up in blood tests - if they do them.
She needs to get at the heart of her problem. For my daughter, she never got so low that she couldn't figure some way out except that when you are bipolar, you really don't put two and two together to get four. Mine had to hit rock bottom - state mental hospital - before she "woke up" to reality and kept on her medication routine.

I'd like to tell you this will all be over soon but I can't honestly do it. You need to be aware that this effects everyone in the family, too, so don't dismiss it as her problem. Join a group who focuses on similar problems so you have a support system for yourself. Most places have them; sadly, this is an all too common occurrence.
I wish you strength for the future.

Answer 5

My heart goes out to you and your daughter. What a difficult ordeal for you.
I can understand why you're so worried about her. But please know she's in a safe place. The hospital will give her the help she needs and protect her from herself until she's well. It may be a few days before you are able to see her again. When she's stable, you will be able to see her. Just be supportive of her, and offer to help her every step of the way.
You can also call the hospital where she was admitted and ask about support groups to help you cope. After all, you've been through a traumatic experience, too.
I hope your daughter is able to work through her problems, and you both get the help you need.

Answer 6

I'm so sorry about your daughter's situation and what you're having to go through. If I had a daughter, I would be calling that hospital every 10 seconds! You just have to know thta you put her in good hands and they are people who are specialized to deal with situations like these. Your daughter is more than likely on 24 hour watch, meaning that if she does anything suspicious, there's someone there to make sure its not endangering her, etc. There also may be someone sitting in there with her, specialized to deal with mentally ill people. This is a very hard time for both you and your daughter, but please know that by taking her to a hospital, she will get better. She'll be living a happier and better life.

Answer 7

Take this advice for yourself and print it out and show it to your daughter:

Without God's love, you will always crave more and more and never be content.

Without a friend that gives you an honest answer when you want one, who gives you one out of love, you will always feel some misery. And if you only have friends that flatter you, you may be depressed knowing that they are doing so because they want to take advantage of you in some way rather than truly loving you, or loving you with a pure love, love which isn't self-seeking.

Also, you may have a poor diet which is causing a chemical imbalance or making you depressed due to its blandness, have past trauma that is still bothering you because you don't know how to deal with it or because it was very painful, are encountering unpleasant smells often (like perhaps from a new rug which smells bad), have bland surroundings (you may want to decorate your walls with posters), have unpleasant parents, don't have friends or ones that give you bad to no advice when you ask for the help or when it's obvious you need it, you may have a boring getting-no-where life, or you may feel as if you're not getting your way in general (which frustrates everyone who feels that way).

I had problems with depression and suicide due to my parents neglecting my education, including knowledge about right from wrong, and not having much interesting or helpful to do. I also got bullied at school for how I was dressed and appeared before I was 14 and of course, instead of the bullies being punished I was the one who got stuck in a miserable substitute for a "normal" public high school and had next to no friends while there (and still have about none). Soon after attending that school I was bullied by the police off an on a few times. Other miserable things happened including being repeatedly kicked out and being mistreated at nearly all the jobs I had by coworkers or bosses who harassed me out of them. But, God saved me and helped me beat my depression and allowed and helped me to accomplish some great things that I can take comfort in having accomplished no matter how miserable. I'm still depressed sometimes, but it's not as bad now since he's opened my eyes.

Check out the link in my profile if you are interested in spiritual help, which I found has been a lasting and permanent solution heading towards perfect peace. I hope you show the link to others.

Answer 8

Be prepared for your daughter to be very angry at you for "abandoning" her at the hospital. If you have insurance, make an appointment for a therapist so your daughter can talk about her feelings in a safe, non-judgmental place.

This could be hormonal or could have been caused by something else... did you just divorce? Is she being made fun of at school? Is she using drugs? Is she pregnant or did she have an abortion? Don't just assume, find out and know the truth. A perfect angel can do meth on the side.

I wouldn't jump to putting your teenager on anti-depressants as they usually aren't approved for anyone over 18 years of age and can actually make the depression worse.

Be loving, be open, don't be judgmental or forceful. If you are divorced - work with your ex to help provide your daughter with a loving, stable, strong environment. Call a crisis center for yourself if you need someone to talk to.

And... don't announce this to the family. The last thing your daughter needs is to deal with the whole family thinking she is crazy. Some teens don't really want to die, they are just calling out for help. It sounds like she is just crying for your help and may have something going on in her life that needs to be properly addressed.

Stay strong. Don't blame yourself. You aren't alone.

Answer 9

I know its hard, but she is better off in the hospital and you will feel better when you can see her. You just went through a very emotional experience and its understandable that you would be upset and crying. Try to be patient. Someday, all of this will be a bad memory. I'm sure that they'll take good care of her. Try to get some rest. Good luck and I hope that your daughter, and you, feel better very soon.

Answer 10

What your daughter needs most right now is love. If you cannot get in to see your daughter, write her a letter and ask one of the staff to give it to her. Tell her how much you love her and how sad and lonely you would be without her. Do not be angry with her or talk negatively, just reassure her that you are going to be able to work through this, together. Try to be strong. Ask her what you can do to make things better.

Good luck, I will pray for both of you!!!
Best wishes!!