L.G.
I too have a daughter (16) who shares the same issues as yours. She has always been a very sensitive child and her anxiety and depression became apparent in her teen years. She has been seeing a therapist since Nov. 2005. She agreed to go on meds (Zoloft) so we had to seek the help of a psychiatrist recently since her therapist cannot prescribe. Soon after she started the medication she said she wanted to stop it because it made her feel detached and stifled her creativity. We let her go off of it and we are keeping a close eye on her moods, as are the therapist and psychiatrist. She has so much potential, she is smart, creative, and very mature for her age. She wants to go to college and we wonder how she can manage without her current support system. She assures us that she will be able to handle life when she is on her own. My husband and I love her and support her without hesitation. We are very frustrated though, we feel like we are constantly jumping through hoops for her yet we don't always see progress. Just when we think she is "in a good place" we see telltale signs of her scratching herself. She uses her nail to give herself an abrasion. We feel so defeated at times. It has affected our whole world (she has a 14 year old sister who is trouble free). At times we feel like giving up and other times we give each other a pep talk about how life could be so much worse. I dislike the roller coaster ride! Anyway, just wanted you to know that you have company and from what I hear a lot of families who seem other wise "normal" also experience this in some form. Hope it helps!