How to help/live with 24 yo daughter

[ridgetop]

Our 24 yo daughter was ADD and extremely rebellious

as a teen. Now, she seems to be spiraling deeper into

something, not sure what or how to deal with her.

- she seems to be bulimic/binging

- reports extreme depression and horrible nightmares,

  can't/won't sleep without Nyquil or Benadryl

- seeks out verbally/emotionally abusive relationships

- won't work regularly, doesn't get up for work,

  stops going because bored

- won't deal with police when (recently) attacked,

  robbed, found crime scene (3 separate incidents)

  because or bad past experience with a policeman

- spends all time at home on internet chat or sleeping,

  goes away for days at time without telling anyone

  where she is, doesn't come home when she says she

  will, spends no time interacting with us

- pays no room/board, does nothing around house unless

  pressured

She recently started seeing a psychiatrist, 3 times

now, no idea what he will do for her.

My problem is, she makes us crazy, she won't take

advice/help from us but she lives in our house and

is just getting worse, we don't want her here but

I'm afraid she'll get suicidal. What can I do to

either help her constructively or get her out safely?



Thanks...



A worried mom

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Your daughter sounds like she need to be in a hospital for a while to start getting straightened out. She is also probably using substances from your description of her behavior. Talk to the psychiatrist about hospitalization or going to a substance abuse program.



You might use the mastering stress program above to help you collect your thoughts about this and decide how to handle her specific behavior and attitude toward you.