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Skipping school, getting sick because of depression
My 16 year old daughter has been diagnosed with and is being treated for depression. Over the past two months she has missed a lot of school because of being sick, which she recently confided to me was self-induced. She says she wanted to stay home so badly that she willed her body to become ill. Is this possible? I want to help her but I don't know how. She's already on medication and has been seeing a counselor. She used to self-harm (cutting & burning) but to my knowledge has stopped. With the schools new attendance policy, her grades are being docked for every day over the attendance limit she misses and I can't put her on homebound if she isn't really sick.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
its not easy being in depression. and its definitely not easy being the mother in the situation. you've done what you can by helping with medication, and a counselor. Although, try not to shower her with love. She knows that you love her. You need to give her space, and time. This is coming from a 17 year-old girl who was in depression 2 years ago. Don't shower her, just let her know that your there, and you will never leave. it is possible that because her absences are so high that she could fail every grade. and could be held back. but this will be a stepping stone for her. i know no one wants to stay in the same grade for 2 years in a row. she needs to know that if she stays home, misses school, fails her grades, and stays back, that she will not only loose her friends her age, but will also affect her future life(as in college). I have also heard that if the mind constantly thinks over and over that it's ill, it will become ill over time. and could very well cause extreme harm the body because of the stress. it is not good for her to think this way. try to keep her in a good environment. and away from the bad things in life. but remember you cant shield her from the world. she's a teenager and all she wants to do is be left alone. just remember this. i know you were a teen once. :/
best wishes,
Jill
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