You are here

We have done all we can do

happygolucky's picture

We have had custody of SD15 for 2 1/2 years now. She has made tremendous progress since we've gotten her. She has lost 80 pounds and gotten caught up to her grade level in school. She actually now maintains an A average in her honors classes. She is doing well. We have been taking SD15 to see a psychiatrist for the past 1 1/2 years. It has been a huge help. SD15 recently got back from visiting BM for the Christmas break. Just like every other time she visits her mom, SD15 comes back and is terrible to deal with. She becomes defiant and rude. She steals and even becomes violent around her sister. It usually takes a month or so to undo what BM does. We're used to that. This time it is worse. We are strict about maintaining contact with us (always letting us know where she is) and being home on time. SD15 knows that for every 5 minutes she is late after her curfew her phone is taken away for a day. She was 15 minutes late getting home, so we took her phone away for 3 days. That set her off. She began calling her dad an f-ing bast**d and yelling at me. I didn't let the situation get any worse; I took my 2 year old daughter for a walk to the park in order to allow things to cool off. BD called me on my walk and told me to come home. I did. He was in the bathroom with SD15 who was curled up on the floor screaming at BD. He was trying to get her arm out of the sweatshirt. He caught her cutting herself with a razor all over her arm. She ran to the bathroom and locked herself in there. We got in there, looked at her arm, none of the cuts were life threatening. After 20 minutes and three phone calls to her psychiatrist we made the decision to have SD15 committed. While SD15 was on the floor she was saying that she was upset for her mom’s safety (BM) because her SDad was violent. She also said that she was being bullied at school. I made the four hour drive to the nearest place that has a juvenile psychiatric facility because SD15 didn't want to go in an ambulance. It took the entire night to get the paperwork done and in to her room. She didn't want BD there, so I took her myself. Once there I was informed that we needed to be present for a family counseling session. I had to turn around, make the four hour drive back home, pick up husband (BD) and my daughter and make the four hour drive back to the hospital. I had now had no sleep in over 30 hours. Once in the counseling session we learned that BD15 was lying about her mom being in danger and about being bullied at school. She was upset that her boyfriend dumped her MONTHS AGO (she has been seeing her psychiatrist for that issue) and that we took her phone away. While up at the hospital they gave me her articles of clothing she couldn't have, no underwire bras, no belts, and no jewelry, nothing with a drawstring. I had to go get her some sports bras. While battling the horrible rush hour traffic by her hospital to get to the store to buy her new things, I have her calling me every five minutes demanding that I hurry up. I got the things she needed and returned to the hospital. During the last few minutes of our visiting time she told us that "these kids in her are f**king CRAZY and messed up." At that point I had lost it. I told her "What the hell do you expect, you have been committed to a psychiatric ward, you aren't exactly normal yourself." As we were walking out, the psychiatrist on staff pulled BD and myself aside and told us that SD15's psychiatrist here at home has knows about the cutting for over a year and neglected to mention it to us. I was livid.

The four hour car drive home BD was constantly on the phone with BM who is insisting that SD15 move home and away from our dangerous situation. BD LOST it on BM and reminded her that she was the one who had Child Protective Services called on her multiple times, she was the one who was married to a guy that was convicted of two felony counts of domestic battery with child, she was the one who was in trouble with the police for stealing things from her own mother and attempting to pawn them and the list of things went on and on. BM shut up. Mind you, BD and I don't even have so much as a parking ticket. He works full time and I am a stay at home mom for both kids. After BD got BM to go away he was left dealing with the hospital. I had to drive the four hour drive home on no sleep. During the brief times between the phone calls BD and I came to the conclusion that SD15 can move home if she wishes, but that the door will shut behind her and she is not welcome back. She is done putting our family through her chaos. We have done all we can do for her, given her more opportunities then she would have ever had with BM and actually set her up with the possibility for a good future. But now SD15 wants to go back to live with BM and we are done with everything. Oh and by the way, her cell phone has been permanently disconnected.

My question now is, are justified in saying enough is enough? Does anyone else know of anything more we could have done? Am I missing anything that could have prevented this, or that can help with our situation?

happygolucky's picture

I agree that time to recharge our batteries before the new fight is important, but I'm not sure if I even want to fight anymore. I'm afraid that she isn't taking her time now seriously and that nothing good will come of it. She is using this time to sleep and play the Wii. Her little "vacation" (as she called it) is only interrupted by the occasional counseling session, blood pressure check and medication time. My fear is that she won't get the real help she needs. I realize that she has problems and I am willing to get her the help she needs, but she has to take it seriously and she isn't right now. She was making fun of the other children in the care facility, cracking jokes about how "messed up" the other kids were. I told her it wasn't appropriate how she was talking and reminded her that everyone there was there for help, not to be made fun of. She did her typical eye roll and said "whatever." Basically what I'm trying to get at is that she doesn't seem to care that her actions have an effect on others. Her "vacation" has cost us our family vacation in a few weeks as well as the cruise we were going to go on in May because we now have her medical bills to pay for. She actually thought that was funny that we had to cancel our family trips.

Her desire to relocate and live with BM is her choice. Unless her psychaitrists state that she isn't able to be around BM(which they won't, we've asked), we have no control over it and actually have to let SD15 move to be with BM. If she goes forward with her decision to live with BM she will start to mimic BM's behavior. BM won't make sure that SD15 takes her meds and SD15's cycle of self destruction will continue and actually get worse. I'm afraid that SD15 will only come back if she is forced to by child protective services, or only after she is even more messed up, perhaps to the point where we can't help. My main concern is obviously for SD15's safety, but I also have to draw the line somewhere and focus on taking care of myself, BDad and our little daughter. I don't want our daughter to grow up thinking that SD15's behavior is acceptable.

Perhaps if SD15 took her situation seriously and engaged in the care that the facility is trying to provide her, I might be more receptive to having her stay a part of our family. But since she sees this as more of a joke, I think we have to draw the line and I am willing to live with the consequences of our decision.

DaizyDuke's picture

I agree with kris and HS in that it would be a shame to return her to BM so that all of the time and love you have in invested in giving this girl the tools to live a better life can all be undone in super short order.

with that being said though, I also agree with you and BD making it clear that IF she does return to BM that there is no coming back. that is the worse game that kids can play... skipping from parent to parent every time the going gets tough.

happygolucky's picture

An update – After having SD15 committed for almost a week and after multiple personal counseling sessions and family counseling sessions, I have come to the conclusion that it was the best thing I could have done for her! She is now home and a completely different child. I’m not sure if is the honeymoon period or if it is actually a step in the right direction, but things here are much calmer. I was initially dreading the family counseling sessions because I was afraid that SD15 would lie and tell the psychiatrists how horrible we are. She did try that, but they are trained well and saw right through her crap. They even flat out told SD15 that she cannot go live with bio mom because it is a dangerous situation. They psychiatrists said that we were stable, caring parents who had her best interests in mind and that she had to stay with us. I was also afraid they would cater to her and baby her, but they made her accountable for her own decisions and actions! When she started being disrespectful during family time the psychiatrists stopped the session and confronted her and made her say what was bothering her, why it was and what can she change about her attitude! I loved it! They gave her a new way to view her problems, new ideas for dealing with the stress and different avenues of release, instead of cutting. It was amazing! I am doing everything the counselors told us to do and it works so well with her! I know committing children isn’t the best solution for everyone, but I do recommend family counseling, it has a made a huge difference for us. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, committing SD15, but the results were worth it in the end.

armywarrantwife's picture

I recently posted a new thread"I feel used" If you read that it will give you some background info on my situation. I am dealing with several of the same issues. My SD BM is in prison for stealing from her aunt and pawning the items. She is now a convicted felon not to mention a drug addict. Her husband is a felon and in prison also for several things. My SD came to us 1 1/2 years ago. She had been living withher aunt and uncle and had been cutting for years. Her thighs are one big scar. We did not find out about this until she came to live with us. She has been committed and treated for this and right now the cutting has ceased. I guess my point is I am raising a troubled teen alone. My husband her BD is deployed right now. So everything is on me. I am trying it is just not easy. Hang in there I hope the turn around she is experiencing is a permanent one.

Totalybogus's picture

I look at this a bit differently. My sister was a drug addict. She caused such upheaval in our family that it changed the course of all of our lives. My parents finally had to go with "tough love." However, their decision came too late for my brother and I. What I'm getting at is sometimes people are so toxic, all they do is ruin everyone's lives. Sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice one for the better of the whole.

You have another child in your home. It is not fair for that child to have to go through this madness. If it comes to fruition that she falls back into the pattern of destruction and self mutilation she was treated for, I think it would be best for your family to let her mother deal with her.

happygolucky's picture

Totalybogus - You are right. We've now reached the toxic point. SD15 has decided to self medicate with alcohol and random promiscous sex. She refuses to take her medications and I refuse to help her anymore. I'm tired of her self destructive attitude, she isn't taking me or my daughter with her down her crazy path. I'm abandoning ship while I still can. Now I feel like such a fool for believing that the psychiatric ward actually did any good. I'm done running myself ragged trying to take her to all her different therapy appointments, all her different counseling sessions, all her different tutoring sessions, medication evaluation sessions. I'm done.

happygolucky's picture

An update: The psychiatric ward was a bunch of B.S. SD15 can't cut anymore, only because every sharp object in our house is locked up in a safe in our room. Instead she has resorted to stealing, drinking and promiscuous sex with random strangers. Up until a few weeks ago, she was a virgin (no that isn't a lie either.) I am done with SD15. I am angry and hurt and embarrased to have played for a fool. Why should I believe she could ever change. I'm done. I'm taking my daughter and going to my parents house. I'm not coming back until SD15 is gone. By the way, my wedding ring is now gone, she sold it for alcohol.

Totalybogus's picture

you're doing the right thing. Nothing is gonna change with this kid until your husband practices some serious tough love. He needs to figure out what's more important to him. You have done enough. My thoughts are with you. Keep your chin up. It can only get better.