Mental Health Awareness Thread

[punch it in]

My daughter is 15 years old. Good kid. Excellent student. Ever since she was a little girl she had sensitivity (certain clothes bothered her, feeling like she had to pee all the time, alot bothered her). If she fell and skinned her knee, it was the absolute end of the world. I know kids cry when they get hurt, but its boo hoo, bandaid , back at it. Not her, it was over the top screaming and flipping out. So fast forward to about the third grade. She is complaining that her chest hurts. We bring her to the cardiologist, and every other doctor imaginable and she checks out. After a while, I start to notice that she seems to be having panic attacks. I know, because I suffered through them for years. If you have ever had one, you know the look and how someone behaves when it is happening to them. It’s brutal. Especially for a 7 year old girl. Anyway for a few years after that she would get them every once in a blue moon. I would talk her down. About two years ago she is getting real bad, having them more frequently and than she comes to me and her mother one night and through the tears tells us she has started vomiting after she eats - we were floored. Now she had developed an eating disorder. We immediately get her therapy, of course this unfolds during the pandemic as she is going through puberty. I can’t even imagine. The therapist was great, and the eating disorder was nipped in the bud. But she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety- severe anxiety. About a year ago we took her to a psychiatrist who prescribed some meds. My daughter took one, had a panic attack just from taking it - and stopped. So we went back to the psychiatrist about a week ago when her anxiety literally turned to a 24-7 thing and was affecting her school work. Prescribed a different med, very low dose, and she talked and really got through to my daughter in a positive way. I thank God for her, and all the other professionals in the field that have helped my daughter through this. So today was day one, she took it and i dropped her at school. About a half hour later she is texting me to pick her up, feels sick, totally about to freak. I talked her down, told her she could do this and it will get easier every day. She stayed all day, went to cross country practice and came home with a smile. I think i exhaled for the first time in a year. We got a long road to go but im feeling good about things. I’ve been absolutely tore up inside for sometime. I couldn’t even handle the WP back n forth and quit. Lol.
Anyway Im starting this thread because I know i cant be alone. People on here maybe battling their own mental health issues or have a family member or a friend. We all must. You know when someone has a limp you can pinpoint the hip or leg. Someone has a problem with their site - eyes or brain,… but when someone, especially someone so young is mentally ill it is almost impossible to see. Even when you realize it well where do you begin???
Just thought it might be a good idea to have a thread , share stories, or remedies, or just be able to talk to others going through stuff.