Published on 12, July, 2020
Help needed pls
My 17 year old admitted he was self harming to us on Thursday after he posted on social media to friends he was going to take his own life.
He was diagnosed with higher funtioning autism and non verbal tourettes when he was 11 and have had many issues with his autism but never anything like this.
As he is very reserved and quiet unfortunatly we didn't pick up on anything different, we went to g.p Thurs and they sent us to deal with crisis team in hospital the same day.
We sat in a and e and eventually got a psychiatrist to see him 6 hours later. They said that he is not clinically depressed and should go home and they would be in contact.
Through us chasing them we have had 2 calls at home and they have booked a home visit for this weds, but that's 6 days since he said he needed help!
Were unsure how to deal with this, is it something we should have watched for with his autism and him struggling to cope with emotions.
Any parents out there who have had the same unfortunate experience who can tell me what happens next?
Feel like we are wrapping him in cotton wool atm but can' risk not doing that.
Any suggestions or experiences or advice welcome as feel like we dont know what to do
I'm a parent, but I can't tell you how this works in the UK. My now adult son is finally getting the help he needs, but he's lived overseas since he was very small. I concur with oktanol that your recent experiences have the ring of familiarity. I was definitely not a happy bunny when I was your son's age, but then I had no idea that I might be on the spectrum. In that sense I suppose you have a head-start.
Looking at the clock, it occurs to me that your GP's surgery will be opening soon. If you call them, perhaps they can schedule a call back from one of the doctors this morning, so you can ask the immediate questions you have about your situation. I can absolutely understand why you don't want to take any risks. Given the subject matter, if you have questions, ask until you get answers that satisfy you. You know your son best of all.
Based on my experiences, I would agree with oktanol that your son really needs your love, understanding and support right now. He probably also wants to talk about how he feels (perhaps at some considerable length) without feeling judged. Give him a safe, supportive environment, and encourage him to open up to you.
Given the social media posts, perhaps it might also be worthwhile finding out more about his interactions with his peers; has he been suffering with bullying (perhaps the non-physical kind) for example?
Good luck with your current struggles.