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"Suicidal Gesture" ER until 2am with SD12

Annanymous's picture

So, she took four antacids, two cold/sinus tablets, four vitamins, and three of her medication pills. She knew exactly what each pill was because I have always taught her about medications since she started taking pills at age 6 and anything I ever gave her she had to tell me the name, dosage, and what it was for. It was very obviously an attention thing, the doctor even said it was because she is extremely jealous of the pregnancy and of her friend and she is mad that we told her no boyfriends (at-school 'middle school BF/GF-she never has been on a date of any sort) the rest of 7th grade and shut down her phone and computer access for sneaking and lying to "date" this boy we told her she was not allowed to "go with". She thought we would cry, give her the computer, and pamper her. She romantasizes this girl that "almost killed herself taking some pills" and everyone is so niiice to her and always tells her she's great and they don't want her to hurt herself. SD wants that, you can tell watching her face when she talks about it.

She LOVES sympathy and she will exaggerate and make things up for pity. She texted everyone in her contacts list crap like "tell me what is ugly and bad about me" with the intention and expectation for everyone to text back how beautiful and great she was. She really got off on that, because no one was going to text back anything that could be perceived as a "bully answer".

She texted her friends how I abused her by making her work in 100 degree weather with no food or drink aaaaall daaay and called her names. What REALLY happened: The elderly neighbors both had broken leg or ankle and paid her $5.00 a day to sit the sprinkler out and turn it on/off once a day and gave her a soda every day. ...Her friend texted back "you're almost 13 if you're hungry tell your mom (me) or go make a damn sandwich, ffs, you can't make yourself a sandwich? Isn't your mom pregnant and sick on the couch with MONO right now? Gosh you're spoiled" SO SD12 texted the friend back and said "You don't know how bad my life sucks I have to water this yard and she is just laying there, someone should bring ME water not her, but FINE I am not YOUR friend NO MORE"...

I had been looking into counseling already because I read some of her texts to her friend, and it is just bad. It's like reading a text between a 13 yr old (The friend) and a pouty, needy, jealous 8-year-old, complete with "you don't love me enough" and "you should be happy for me to be happy" and "if you don't xyz I'm not be u friend no more". SD has also told these two friends that if they didn't do something she would "just go hurt myself since you don't even care about me".

Now she is trying that "I will just hurt myself if you don't care about me" to me and DH. NOT going to work. I was a social worker, I have dealt with kids doing this manipulation stuff, and I am not feeding into the attention seeking and manipulation.

The first trimester of this pregnancy, SD12 did everything she could to stress me out after I specifically told her I couldn't have any anxiety or stress (two previous losses). She would sneak, lie, and roll eyes and say "whaaateevaaar". I asked her to dust the TV (seriously she doesn't have much in the way of chores) and she lied to my face and smirked. I thought she finally got over it, but she told the ER doctor "I guess you see SHE is PREGNANT huh....." with a tone.

I have been trying with this girl, but I really wish I could just spend this last month at my grandparents' house out of state. She is pouting all day today because we didn't do what she expected and she didn't get her computer back for it. Of course I hugged her and said we love you when we took her last night. I wish they put her in-patient, but the beds were full so they sent her home because she was never a real threat to herself.

I get that she has problems, but I am so tired of it. DH was fighting with me last month, my mother was verbally/emotionally abusive and sent me into contractions at the end of October ruining the baby shower. The shower ended up "okay", but my mother flew in to the state and didn't come and texted me horrible things. Then SD is doing this crap exaggerating for pity.

SD didn't want us to paint the baby's room this weekend and set up his furniture, and she was mad that she got caught lying and sneaking to "go with" this boy that JUST broke up with her BFF less than two weeks ago and we forbade her from dating because it is trashy and would cause problems. So she tantrums taking four antacids last night and tapes a note to my bedroom door "you don't care, but i have a medical emergency, but just nevermind since I will just die and you won't care anyway". SO we spend the entire night in the ER watching her suck down Popsicle and smiling. Today, she is pouting and huffing.

I am really trying here; trying to be there for her but also not feeding into her drama and attention-seeking stuff.

I have 30 days left until my due date. Oh and Thanksgiving, she was in the living room with her baby infant cousin and just stared at the baby while it got its head stuck and screamed. She just sat there, didn't go to the baby, didn't hollar for help, just smiled and watched. She didn't think anyone saw her. I said WHAT is your problem, and she said "whaaat?? whatevvaaaaaar"

God help me have patience with this extremely jealous 13 yr old. She is jealous of everyone and everything and just does what she can for attention and pity from her friends. She told her friends DH and I scream and fight all the time...we had TWO FIGHTS in NINE YEARS! she has NEVER been called names, put down, or smacked or spanked ever, but oh her life is so horrible...

Stress. Nonstop stress for the entire third trimester, after mono for six weeks then two back-to-back kidney stones during this pregnancy - and oh SD was really really jealous during all that time and still is. She tantrumed and said I "didn't get up from the couch and GREET her ENTHUSIASTICALLY ENOUGH" when I was on the couch for weeks with mono or the kidney stones...seriously, she said "enthusiastically ENOUGH".

Comments

xtina's picture

I laughed at the first sentence. 4 antacids, 2 cold tablets, 4 vitamins, and 3 pills. I 3 antacids and 2 cold tablets just this morning! My stepsister did the same thing when she was 16. She told her dad "I TOOK 7 TYLENOLS AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!" oooo 7. Get back to me when you take 70 and maybe I'll feel bad for you.

Annanymous's picture

Exactly. SHe has pouted all day today because we took her to the ER and it was not glamourous like she hoped (she denies). She got no fauning, we didn't cry and beg her to not hurt herself, nothing. We did not take her because we worried about her physically, because ffs it was 4 antacids, 2 cold tablets, 4 vitamins, and 3 pills. She was adamant that she really was trying to kill herself...when asked why she didn't finish the bottles or take more than what she took, she said she "stopped herself".

You should know, she is very aware of medication and what is what and how much is dangerous- i have explained every medication she ever took and made her tell me the names, dosages, and uses, and risk of taking too much and what too much would be. She was very aware those pills weren't going to hurt her.

IN FACT, I had a whole bottle of Aleve sitting right next to the ones she took and she did not TOUCH IT at all! WHY? I had told her she could never never touch Aleve because it would damage her liver...

xtina's picture

I laughed at the first sentence. 4 antacids, 2 cold tablets, 4 vitamins, and 3 pills. I 3 antacids and 2 cold tablets just this morning! My stepsister did the same thing when she was 16. She told her dad "I TOOK 7 TYLENOLS AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!" oooo 7. Get back to me when you take 70 and maybe I'll feel bad for you.

Annanymous's picture

We are seeing the pediatrician Monday to get referral to a psychiatrist. I had looked online for a therapist for the past three months off and on and wrote down some names waiting for DH to agree - this I did after seeing her texts and manipulating her friends with "you don't care and I will just hurt myself then waaaah".

I think she has whatever her mother has. She does a lot of attention-seeking behaviors and gestures for attention. She feeds off of pity. Back when she actually visited and would take SD once a month or even every other Saturday over night for a while, she took her to the ER every single time.

BM will not go to a regular doctor either...she goes to the Children's Hospital Emergency Room and gets admitted into the Children's Hospital... yeaaaah. She said the nurses and doctors are more attentive and caring there...

With SD texting her entire contacts list of kids/friends/associates "no one likes me so tell me why you don't like me" then getting off on everyone texting back "oh you're preeetty and greaaat" and all that. These kids have to post that crap on her facebook wall every couple weeks or she is facebook or text messaging them that "i ruin everything no one loves me" and all that BS.

God help me. She is so jealous of her friends, of my pregnancy, of my DOG. I care about her and love her and want to help her, but she is really pushing me right now and I feel resentful now.

IronRose's picture

I don't know how you cope with this child in addition to being pregnant. You sure are a trooper & I hope your DH loves you dearly.

Annanymous's picture

The ER doctor said she is extremely jealous of the pregnancy/baby. She went from being "my sweet daughter" to constantly trying to get me anxious and rolling her eyes and being flippant with "whatevvaaaar".

We told her we have to talk about it tonight. She wants to talk only to her Dad and rolls her eyes at me when I told her we know she didn't really want to kill herself, but wanted the attention from it and it was a gesture and she gets snotty and tells me I don't know anything and all I ever think is she wants attention; honey, its on your discharge papers from the doctor, attention-seeking gesture is not a put down.

This weekend was supposed to be DH and I painting the baby's room and putting the furniture together, but nope, can't do that because we were in the hospital until 3am. We did not take her in fear of her having actually been hurt; we took her because of the attention-seeking suicidal threat. She also texts all her friends and threatens them that she will hurt herself if they don't xyz.

I am at a loss. They were going to admit her, but the only hospital that would take kids under 12 (she is 3 weeks from her 13th birthday) had no beds, so it was a city 3 or 4 hours away or take her home. Since they knew 100% she wasn't seriously going to hurt herself, they said take her home and do outpatient followup with the pediatrician and find a psychiatrist on Monday.

I really do not mean to whine here, but...I have three good pregnancy memories and each are tainted either by my mother being verbally abusive (the shower went well, but i was sad the whole time and anxious whether she would show up or not), then once with DH baby shopping (he went because I told him how it upset me that every time he would rush and huff to leave the department and never wanted to get a mattress or anything at all), and the third good memory is DH putting his hand on my stomach to feel the baby kick and talk to him (a few days after I asked him why he didn't ever do it and the only time he did was once when I took his hand and said feel this).

The rest has been full of stress, anxiety, sadness, and bullshit between SD acting like a complete spoiled jealous brat, DH fighting and yelling at me one night and leaving the house for the night, another problem with DH that took me a week to get over, the weeks I let my mother come in my life (she had been CO prior and is again now) and she reverted back to her same abusive self, five weeks of mono and two kidney stones.

SD gives me glares of hatred, and I went from raising her for the past 10 years and planning to adopt her to now I just don't want to be around her at all. I feel bad. She told the doctor and DH that I make her feel bad...because I told her I was disappointed in her for sneaking and lying and that she was a liar for sneaking and lying to date her BFFs ex-boyfriend that she was forced to break up with by her parents just two weeks ago.

I have less than 30 days left in this pregnancy, and I just really wish I could go spend it at my grandparents house (I know, I am being just as whiny and poor-me attention-seeking as SD with that thought/comment, but FFS I am tired of the world having to revolve around SD12- not just my world, but EVERYBODY's world, even her friends or she pouts and huffs and texts them that she won't be their friend no more and that she is goign to hurt herself a'cause you don't care if I get hurted".

UGH. The jealousy of her friend and of this pregnancy is just overwhelming.

She is saying she REALLY tried to kill herself with those pills (4 antacids and 2 cold/sinus pills and the 4 vitamins) because of me...because I don't trust her enough (caught her with the boy), love her enough, give her enough, "greet her enthusiastically enough when half dead with mono and pregnant", care enough about HER feefees (let her be with her BFs recent ex that the BF still liked).

God help me, I have loved this kid for years, but this past couple months, she is really pushing me to not like her very much right now.

Stepcop's picture

Oh honey, first of all, big hug. We went through this, and are still going through it with sd13. It's nerve racking. We have had her committed, it did no good, fed the beast to be honest, because of all the attention, be strong.

Annanymous's picture

Thanks. I want her to go in-patient and get treated/diagnosed, but DH wants her home and me to watch her 24/7 and to get out-patient referral and counseling. Blegh. Just want I want for my last 27 days of pregnancy. HOOFUCKINGRAY.

StarStuff's picture

There is no way I could have handled this BS as well as you did. I probably would have said something extrememly rude along the lines of "too bad you didn't succeed". Sigh. I'm terrible. My father killed himself when I was 21 so it really gets my dander up when people "attempt" suicide for attention. Fuck that little brat.

bi's picture

i agree. i have an exbf from when i was 18 who threatened to drive his car into a tree during a fight. i don't play those bullshit games of people trying to make me feel like it will be my fault if they kill themselves. i told him "make sure it's a big one!" might sound mean and cold, but i wanted him to know i was not playing any stupid head games with him.

Annanymous's picture

Definitely this. She wrote three letters, each more pathetic than the last and taped to our bedroom door about how she was dying of a "medical emergency" but oh well since you don't love me and you don't care, i will Just lay here and dieeeee.

I wish she would be put in-patient so freaking bad to be diagnosed and treated. I honestly care and want to be here for her, but I am also just completely drained emotionally, fed up of all the stress this pregnancy has endured because of other people, and just want to roll my eyes and tell her to STFU over her "antacids overdose of four pills (two doses of antacid)"...

See, she is ACHING to get her phone back to text everyone she knows to tell them - why? ATTENTION!

RedWingsFan's picture

Attention whore just like my SD14. She told one of her friends that was "suicidal" that she wouldn't ever kill herself because she's just too special and too many people would miss her here. Yeah, the world revolves around you, SD.

I would've probably told her "nice try for the attention, but people who are REALLY suicidal don't talk about it, they just fucking DO it".

Ugh, sorry you're going through that. I know what that's like. Constantly trying to get attention in all the wrong ways...

Clearly An Upgrade's picture

"nice try for the attention, but people who are REALLY suicidal don't talk about it, they just fucking DO it".

This is exactly what we were told by my SD's therapist when she kept telling me during her meltdowns "I don't know how to handle this life, I just want to CUT!!!! And I always hope that I DON'T hit a vein, but it will probably happen if I keep doing it! I hope I don't keep feeling like I need to!!" (Hint hint, pay attention to ONLY ME, and I will feel "special" and won't have to cut. If you don't GIVE me the attention I want, when I want it, I will find a way to TAKE it!!)

Just to be clear, the second we knew what she was doing, we took her straight to the hospital, then to counseling 3 X week. Her behavior was taken seriously by us at first (the doctors and therapists were NOT overly concerned about her actually being a threat to herself), but after SD used this manipulation tactic every time something special was going on for the baby (like the day of my shower, when we were shopping for baby stuff, preparing the baby's room, etc.) the fear around her threats began to wear off, because her pattern was totally obvious. SD never cut deep enough to leave a scar, it was little more than a papercut, and never in an area where it could be seen. (She's far too vain to scar herself in a visible place.)

The main thing the therapist kept saying was that it is highly unusual for a truly suicidal person to announce their plans in advance. Just the fact that SD told us about her "urges" negated any serious intent.

However, she still needed to be taken at her word...that she was a danger to herself. So we did what OP is doing: no phone, no computer, no leaving our sight, counseling, constant monitoring, etc. It was exhausting, but SD stopped with the threats, because eventually her social life was more important than controlling and guilting us.

RedWingsFan's picture

My daughter has a 14 yr old friend that CONSTANTLY says she hates her life, she cuts (lightly, never deep enough to do any damage or leave scars) and shows everyone just how "miserable" she is. She's an attention whore too.

I had a friend commit suicide when we were teens. She NEVER spoke a word about how miserable she was or threatened anything. She simply woke up one day and not the next. No one had a clue that she wasn't a normal teenager with general teen issues.

It's always best to take them seriously initially and show them that life really CAN be difficult but that you're on to them and know what they're up to. The counseling can help as long as they're really open to it. Once they see that you're not playing around and are constantly watching them, they generally back down and knock off their bullshit.

Clearly An Upgrade's picture

I went through a similar situation while pregnant and post-partum with DD2. SD was 15 at the time, and completely fell apart during my pregnancy. The problems with her BM also amplified exponentially for all of us. BM actually told me she was jealous that I was expecting. SD showed her jealousy and insecurity by self-mutilating (cutting and burning herself), and having unprotected sex with lots of random guys.

In the span of six months, she had twelve partners, three pregnancy scares, two STD's, and countless meltdowns. Every time we turned around there was a new problem: the school calling about naked pictures that a girl that reported to the vice-principal (SD sent the pics to the girl's boyfriend, the girl found them and was pissed off), a note written by another guy talking about how lucky they were that they didn't get caught having sex in a school bathroom, emailing naked pictures of herself through Facebook, which were discovered when it was accessed by her English teacher (the boy she sent them to is the English teacher's son), and on and on.

SD would tell me about her sexual activities during LONG, dramatic, crying spells, looking for me to assure her that she is special, perfect, better than that, worthwhile, amazing. I meant every word and didn't see how much I was being manipulated at the time. It wasn't until I was admitted to the hospital four weeks early to stop the onset of labor, and then developed preeclampsia with a breech baby and had to have an emergency c-section that I realized the gravity of what she had been doing to me and my baby. It was a game to her...a game she played with the lives of both me and my child. I could not go home to her. I did not want her to visit in the hospital. DH called to tell her that her sister was born, and that started an epic campaign to finish me off.

While SD refused to speak or otherwise communicate with any of us, including DH, BM turned the PAS up to level extreme. We didn't have ANY contact with SD for almost a year, but not for lack of trying. BM also called CPS and made allegations of abuse by me towards my baby, and we had to retain an attorney. Of course it was deemed unfounded, but that is in the system, and will never go away. It also still lives on in the very fiber of my being, my muscle tissue, my heart. The two of them DESTROYED what should have been a special time.

A person that can do this kind of thing is sick. There are serious issues going on. The only way I was able to reclaim my sanity and life was to completely and totally disconnect from SD, and it took me almost two years of weekly therapy to decide on a definite course of action (or inaction, I should say). It hurts a lot, and I still have days of vacillating between no contact and trying to reunify, but I can't give SD what she wants, for me to be consumed by her. She can't have me. There's too much at stake.

I'm so sorry that things have turned out this way. There's really no more vulnerable time for a woman than when she's with child, or healing and caring for a newborn. It takes a pretty clear lack of conscience to attack someone that's already compromised. I'm hurting for you, and hope that things become more tolerable from this point on. If they don't....just remember that you and baby are the #1priority. You are the only one that can protect him, and not only is it totally OK for you to take whatever action you need to do so, it is VITAL.

Annanymous's picture

Oh wow. I cannot even imagine. I hope things improved for you and your SD. I really hope the psychiatrist can help SD12 before she gets to that point. I do love her and don't want her to suffer so bad. I just have to vent my frustrations so I CAN deal with her in a healthy-for-her fashion and not show my irritation. Because I know she has real feelings and if she feels "no one loves me enough", then it is a real issue for her.

I think she may be Borderline, her biological mother feeds off attention and pity too (very minimal contact, however) and she has one of her half-brothers that lives in a pediatric mental hospital out of state at age 7 for supposed bipolar disorder and behavior issues. I hear the BM is trying to ship off the littler halfbrother for behavior problems as well now...she finally popped out enough to get another baby girl (she does not have custody of SD or SD's older sister and said she "wants a girl of her own"..)

ugh.

Clearly An Upgrade's picture

Our lives are EXPONETIALLY improved since SD decided to live with BM full time and go no-contact with us. We have a real family life and are able to (almost) fully relax for the first time EVER. My DD's are healthy, thriving, and do so much better without the cloud of SD and BM looming. Of course this is NOT ideal....I love SD, we all do, but she made the choice to exclude us, and we can't keep chasing her, because that feeds the beast and keeps us in constant turmoil.

At some point she'll come back....it'll be in true SD BPD waif fashion, probably a dark, stormy night, showing up on our doorstep with a suitcase, mascara stains on her face from crying, with an "I'm pregnant and have NOWHERE else to go!!!" mantra on her lips. We have a packet of resource information for her, and I may offer her a ride somewhere, but she can NEVER come back to live with us. When she left for BM's in June, she severed all ties with us, and changed all of her contact info. She made allegations of physical and mental abuse against both me and DH, and requested (through BM) that DH's rights as her father be terminated. We have only heard from them twice since then, when BM sent a text to DH demanding that he pay for a non-essential class and school clothes for SD. He did not respond to either text. BM then filed for a CS mod, which was denied until this coming May due to BM's CS arrearages owing to DH.

At this point, SD is too dangerous to our well-being to allow back into our lives. SD's personal therapist strongly advised us not to let her into our home, or to meet her anywhere that isn't public. (SD has a history of making allegations of unfounded sexual abuse as well, which confounds me, because she was actually victimized by BM's last husband. You'd think she'd understand the gravity of such accusations.)

I love this girl so much, and it KILLS me to not know what's going on with her. I would have done anything for her, and I have done far more than I really should have. Currently she is not in counseling, and according to FB, is partying constantly. The other shoe will drop sooner or later. Just trying to be happy and roll with it until we have something that we can't avoid dealing with. May sound harsh, but she's seriously shaved years off of my life. She's toxic.

Interesting that you mention Borderline. This is most certainly BPD-like behavior. My SD's BM is diagnosed BPD, and SD is deemed as "displaying possible BPD tendencies", but won't be officially diagnosed until age eighteen, IF she were to go back into counseling. If your SD is in fact BPD, she will likely NEVER get better, unless she recognizes that her behavior is problematic and desires change. That is uncommon. We may have been able to get SD to that point, if she had remained in our home. But going back to BM's house of horrors was essentially the nail in the coffin of her mental health. BM vehemently denies that there is anything off with her, and "doesn't believe" in doctors or mental health professionals. Her initial Dx was a fluke, and only cited when she presented to a psychiatrist with a different issue. We only know about it because BM told us like it was the most ridiculous, unbelievable shit she'd ever heard.

I wish you the very best of luck with this....it's difficult, to say the very least. If I can make a recommendation regarding BPD, it would be to research and understand it as best you can. It will help so much in not taking her attacks and spiraling behavior personally. The following books are also very helpful: "The Essential Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder" (Randi Kreger), "The Drama of the Gifted Child" (Alice Miller), "Emotional Blackmail" (Susan Forward), "Toxic People" (Lillian Glass). There is also a website called "BPD Family" that is a fantastic resource, and it is set up in a similar fashion to STalk. I would recommend reading "Emotional Blackmail" first, since it contains LOADS of information about dealing with people that control others by way of suicidal threats.

Lots of prayers and hugs to you. <3

SanAntonioSoccerMom's picture

I am surprised they did not commit her. Maybe it is time to call her bluff? My friend's stepdaugther whom she adopted (without thinking things thru) was always threatening suicide, tried to throw herself out of her bedroom window. She was commited for 48 hours and put in foster care for a few days. That nipped that shit in the bud with a quickness.

Annanymous's picture

I am seriously thinking about pushing for in-patient admittance. The ONLY reason they didn't admit her is because there is only one hospital in the area that will take someone under 13 (she will be 13 in 28 days.....). The doctor said it was extremely obvious that it was attention-seeking and not an actual attempt since she took four antacids (two doses) and one dose of sinus medicine and four vitamins when she had access to actual full bottles of pills (she knows what each medication does and what is too much because I have always taught her about medication and safety...yep she didn't take more than a double dose of antacids LOL).

The only reason she was not admitted was because the doctor said everyone is very certain it was attention-seeking and not real and to admit her, we would have had to take her to a different city 4 hours away since they don't know when a bed will open up.

She is itching to text all the kids on her phone about what she did and get the attention from it. She gets mad and glares and flips her hand and says "you don't know anything you always say I just want attention.. WHATEVER" at me when I told her it was attention-seeking. I said it nicely and professionally that she needed to address her issues and own up to the situation with the doctor, I wasn't putting her down or making light of it because it is very very serious that she would go there.

She is mad that we didn't run to her crying and begging her to not hurt herself. We didn't give her the computer and phone back. We didn't tell her we would do aaany thing to make her haaappy. She pouted and stomped the next day. Then she asked if she could have friends over. DH said NOPE. DH told her she isn't even allowed to go downstairs by herself and she won't have anything but the TV for a while now.

I hate it if it sounds like I am not seriously concerned about her, because I truly am, but this is so staged. You should see the manipulative note she taped to our door about her "medical emergency" and how we don't care. I could just gag.

And for my self-pity whining quota: I have not had any good memories of my ONLY pregnancy. I get it she has mental problems and has these feelings where she needs constant pity and validation, but fuck, I am getting so tired of her behavior and she intentionally does this shit too. I have had non-stop anxiety and stress the entire third trimester between my abusive mother, my DH fighting, and SD being a self-centered spoiled drama princess. I'm down to 28 days left and the only two "good memories" aren't that great.

I am trying to focus on caring about SD and "being there for her" and that crap, but I am growing sick of her. I am so sick of constantly CONSTANTLY having to tell her how awesome and special and amazing she is. If I skip a day of singing her praises, she starts with attitude and eye rolling and "you don't love me" and "you didn't greet me ENTHUSIASTICALLY ENOUGH"...when I had fucking MONO and pregnant and 102 FEVER, I should have been in the hospital but I was just to damn sick to drag myself off the couch my WBC was 1.3 FFS, I had no ability to stand up and shout her fucking praises.

Boy I am glad I can say these ugly things here so that I can be good to her at home and never say anything like that to DH or her. As horrible as I come across here, I really am extremely good to her all the time.

Clearly An Upgrade's picture

You do NOT sound like you're throwing yourself a pity party at all!! You'd think that your SD could dial down the drama and theatrics a bit, and give you the chance to have the rest and relaxation you desperately need. You are making a HUMAN BEING FFS!!!! Please know that you do NOT sound uncaring at all. In fact, you have gone above and beyond. Just be nice to yourself. You're doing (and have done) far more for her than most other people would. You sound like an amazing person, and an excellent MOM. Big hugs!!

Annanymous's picture

She was pouting and stomping and went over and started doing dishes and making huge loud sighs. I said please stop and sit down, if you have something to say or talk to me about, just sit down and talk. SIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHH. SD, we did not ask you to do that right now. SIIIIIGGGHHHHHH I'M HELPING GGGAWWWWWWWDDDDD HUUUUFFFF.

She will not look at me. I know what she's doing. I am nice, but she's mad that I am not coddling her right now.

I said, "SD are you mad that DH and I were in the bedroom a few hours this afternoon and not sitting with you?" She says HUH NO GAAWWDD UUUUUHHH HUUHFFF YOU AAAALWAYS SAY I WANT ATTEEEEENTIOOOON HUFF huff. I said, "SD..we were asleep as we were exhausted from the past couple of days; we were not watching anything on the TV without you.." She smiles and says "Oh". ..

The world revolves around this girl, literally. I am expected to sing her praises every single day or she gets "depressed" and has no self-worth. This is extremely emotionally draining on me! She wants me to say "awwww everyone is so meeeaaaan and don't they know how perfect you aarree" and I simply cannot and will not do that every day.

Her FRIENDS have to sing her praises every single day in texts or facebook (even posting weekly how amazing, perfect, beautiful, special, and 'how sorry she has such a haaard life'....) or she goes off on them with the most childish, petty, whiny, BS crap and makes threats to hurt herself cause the friend doesn't care enough or will say "fine I dont want to be your friend since you don't obviously care at all about ME".

It's just getting disgusting and overwhelming and I am so tired.

I can't even enjoy anything because it has to be all about her. She even was dragged to my ultrasound and the whole time she and DH talked about when SHE was a fucking fetus and how special and perfect and precious SHE was... fucking gag. I mean, I actually encourage family to talk about her birth and her infancy at appropriate times, but FFS not at my MFing ultrasound. -- No, she will not be coming to the hospital and ruining that for me too. I know she will moan and cry over that, but no. She will not be at the hospital and no way do I trust her to babysit. She smiled and stared as her baby cousin screamed with her head stuck in the door of the barbie castle. She didn't even try to help or alert anyone that the baby was hurt when she was alone in the living room with the baby. Fuck no she's not going to be alone with my baby (or my dog). See, she is the perfect kid when you're watching, but when she thinks you aren't looking, she gets really sneaky and lies constantly. THen she throws a fit and threatens to hurt herself when she gets caught.

She always tells people we don't love her enough because we don't always feed her...and she's starving to death...she is 13 fucking years old, and she refuses to make her own sandwich for lunch...like with my kidney stone, I was in the bathtub for over an hour screaming in pain...she texted her friends that she was starving and I refused to let her eat....I SHOULD have been in the ER and I was throwing up in a trashcan while sitting in the bathtub...she was 12-1/2, she could make a god damn sandwich by herself, but there was no attention and pity in that.

I told her months ago that it is on her if she doesn't make herself lunch or take her lunch and that it is on her.

She expects me to cut her food. She makes dramatic attempts at cutting her friend eggs...and god help you if she has chicken fingers. I have always tried to give her attention and tell her how great she is, but FFS I am just completely drained of SD-worship energy.

StarStuff's picture

You know, I'm surprised she even has any friends. If a so-called "friend" sent me the texts like your SD does, I'd stop being friends with them in a heartbeat. I absolutely cannot stand people like that. I hope she has some sort of redeeming quality for her sake.

Annanymous's picture

She doesn't know that I read her texts now. Not all of them, just those to boys and a couple specific friends that she is like an "emotional vampire" to. These girls are 1000x more mature in the text conversations/fights whereas SD says "well fine then don't say bye; I just won't be your friend NO MORE" or other really immature BS about "you think I am ugly" or "I guess I just ruin everything and you hate me and no one loves me guess I should hurt myself to make you happy"...

She has now "dated" (middle school dating AT school, she is not allowed to go on dates) two of her friends very recently ex boyfriends, like started flirting immediately and "going with" in less than two weeks. I told her it was trashy and she was forbidden from dating this boy; so she snuck and lied to us about it. Just like I told her, the friends were upset and said it was trashy...but those friends also posted on her facebook that as much as it hurt, they still love her and want to stay friends with her! She got snotty and said they should be HAPPY for HER. UGH. Center of the Universe.

She is not going to have any friends if she doesn't cut it out.

Annanymous's picture

I think she does have some serious issues, but as much as she is mad at me for saying it was a "suicidal gesture" and "attention seeking", she is ADAMANT that she was REAAAALLY trying to kill herself and that she just "found the will to stop herself" and wrote THREE letters in marker to tape to my bedroom door. Each more "pitiful" than the last about if we actually care at all that she is dying but if we don't care then just nevermind she will die alone in her room crying. Seriously.

I am taking her to the pediatrician tomorrow. I am going to push for inpatient if a bed opens up. She has moped and sighed and huffed and done short answers without looking at me all weekend (she will look at her Dad - I was a social worker and have a degree in psychology/sociology and told her to remember I have worked with kids with mental health issues and who have attempted suicide and made suicidal gestures for attention-seeking behavior. She is mad that we didn't jump and coddle her and give her what she wanted, but she refuses to admit it. She says she still has the thoughts that everyone hates her and we hate her and no one loves her and maybe if she took more pills 'things would be better'.

I am not trying to play her off lightly, she does have a serious issue; she just didn't REALLY try to actually kill herself, she was just doing the suicidal gestures. Princess is so jealous of everyone that she cannot stand not having all the attention or being called out on anything.

She cannot wait to tell all the kids at school what she did. How she "attempted suicide". Obviously, telling her friends and classmates will be nothing but pure attention-seeking behavior. She gets SO MAD when I explain what she is doing. She screams YOu don't KNOW..well, actually I DO know. I worked with kids on both ends of the spectrum and surprise princess, I actually took a bottle of pills when I was a teen for a REAL suicide attempt; however, no one took me to the hospital, I threw up liquid aspirin for two hours and my mother told me she wished I wasn't so stupid and that hopefully I would take two bottles next time to finish what I started.

SD will see a psychiatrist and I will push for in-patient treatment. She was full of that same behavior Saturday and Sunday, and we made her sit and talk and she rolled her eyes and huffed about how she still has the same "thoughts and feelings" and there is no point talking to us today because no one lurvs her enough and she sees a doctor tomorrow. I will be telling the pediatrician I believe she will gesture again for attention and may up the ante, so to speak, to get the reaction she is seeking.

hismineandours's picture

I would say she is a budding borderline. Although sometimes dramatic teen behavior can look like bpd. These folks have great fears of abandonment and that is probably what has triggered her attitudes and behaviors. She thinks you will "abandon" her in favor of the baby.

My ss has flirted with these sorts of behaviors as well. He earned a psych hospital stay at 9 for reporting that he was hallucinating and saying the voices were telling him to kill my ds and how he'd do it. He told us he was hallucinating for 3 months. We had an MRI,ct scan, numerous trips to the dr. After he was discharged he said he made it all up for his BMs attention and proudly declared "it worked too". When he got older it was about writing notes talking about killing himself and drawing pics with bloody daggers or hanging bodies. Sigh. He doesn't live here anymore so thank god I don't deal with it anymore.

By the way he really enjoyed the inpatient stay. They had good food, recreation times, he was showered with attention. I attended a family session in which I got to hear that I frigened him when I forced him to watch the movie disturbia. (Never forced him- he saw 10 minutes of it and fell asleep). So really not helpful at all. What he did not like, however, was when he was discharged I made him stay by my side all day. Doctor advised close supervision. S no playing on playground, can't go outside without me, no friends houses. I was as sweet as pie to him- but he couldn't do a darn thing without me two inches away from him. You want some attention buddy? You got it. He hated it! Lol!

Annanymous's picture

Caught her in the medicine cabinet.

Taking her to the nearest behavioral health hospital that accepts under 13.

As irritated as I have been venting, I love my stepdaughter and I dont want her to suffer and feel this bad and keep trying to hurt herself, regardless of the reason, be it attention, jealousy, deep depression, whatever it is, no matter how upsetting it is to me, I just want her to feel okay. I know I sound like a self-centered bitch whining on my vents about her problems, but it was only to let out my ugly feelings so I would be able to be my best for her in person and not harbor any eye-rolling feelings of my own when with her.

We are driving 2 hours away to admit her now. She says she didn't actually take anything (I personally believe she was just standing there waiting for one of us to 'catch' her), but she is going to the hospital regardless. I cannot watch her 24/7.

Clearly An Upgrade's picture

Again, you do not sound self-centered, whiny, pitiful, or uncaring. You obviously care deeply for your SD. That comes through loud and clear in your posts, as does your palpable stress level. You are about to give birth. Your energy, physical abilities, and hormones are all being compromised due to the effort it takes just to take care of YOU, not to mention how much you have had to put forth for your SD. Please give yourself a break....you are doing the best you can right now, and if anyone says differently, they haven't been in your shoes. Whether this stress is coming from a step or bio, it's too much. And if this were your bio, I can't imagine that your course of action would be much, if any, different.

Your SD is escalating her behaviors to get what she thinks she wants; absolute, undivided attention. Whatever sparked this fear of abandonment (likely her BM), is the driving force behind this, NOT how you have dealt with the fallout. Please know that if my DD12, my BIOLOGICAL child, was doing what your SD was with regard to the boyfriends, lying, sneaking, and attitude, she would be facing similar consequences to the ones you imposed, maybe even more harsh. I wouldn't have to worry, however, that the punishment would be perceived as the actions of the "mean ole' SM". There's no reason for you to keep beating yourself up for doing the right thing. Yes, there are other ways to handle this kind of thing, but you have decided (with her father) how to proceed, and you've done what you can with the best of intentions. Just because you are feeling anger, sadness, and resentment towards not being able to enjoy your pregnancy doesn't mean that you've made decisions regarding your SD with clouded judgment. You have been put in a losing position, because you're safe to her. She knows you care, that's why she's doing this, to see if you'll abandon her too. She doesn't realize (with her still developing mind and child's perspective) that she's creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

She needs to go in-patient. She needs help. I know that it is frustrating to have an educational background in psychology and not be able to talk your own family member "off the ledge". I'm in the same position, with a degree in Psychology. I spent a whole lot of time angry with myself for reacting to things I should have let go, and not being able to find the right combination of words to "get through" to my SD. It's okay, because you are just too close to the situation. That's not your fault or a sign of shortcoming on your part.

I sincerely hope that your SD gets the help she needs during her stint at the hospital, and comes home with a new perspective. Using this time apart to get ready for your baby, and figuring out what boundaries need to be implemented is ideal. Please keep us posted. I've been thinking and worrying about you a lot.

Annanymous's picture

Thank you so much for that, Clearly An Upgrade. You cannot imagine how much I needed to hear this right now.

We are both very much confident that in-patient was the way to go when we caught her back in the medicine cabinet again. SD agreed once we got there and had some talking. She just felt like everyone hates her and she can't get the thought out of her head to see any differently. When we were napping, she assumed we were watching TV together and left her in her room alone.

I am fully planning on doing everything in my power to limit any and all stressors for the rest of this next couple of weeks and just "be", also. She will be there 5 to 10 days. I will call her every night to say goodnight and visit on Saturday with DH and otherwise it will be stress-free from anyone and anything that causes any stress at all.

You are right too, she thinks I will abandon her and she is self-sabotaging to fulfill that fear (along with other things she is doing).

I too really hope this helps her. I know if my mom had taken me for help when I was 13/14, my life would have been 1000x better and healthier in my teens and young adulthood rather than living with cycling bouts of depression. I did for SD what I wish had been done for me when I was a young teen. She knows we did not ship her off, but took her because we love her and want what is best and safe and healthy for her.

She is not a bad kid; during the second trimester, you wouldn't believe how amazing and loving and kind and helpful she was, I mean, never even in trouble for anything that was worth being in trouble for - she had NO attitude, not a single sassy-ness at all for three months, and she tried hard. It was amazing - until we got into the last couple weeks and she started getting those jealousies and fears again resurfacing from the first trimester, along with the drama with her friends from school over that boy. When she is not full of the attitude and the threats of this stuff, she truly is an easy, loving, amazing kid. I cannot wait to get the real her back and loose all this anxiety and stress.

I am off work today and tomorrow for this situation. I am going to take a nice warm bath, watch TV, nap, relax, and completely try to de-stress myself. In fact, I have already had a back rub and about 30 minutes of *un-asked-for* (that is the important part to note) snuggle time from DH complete with hugs, kisses, belly-feeling-for-movement, and more back rubs.