I am new to the whole world of cutting. i found out tonight my 18yr difficult child has been cutting for 1.5yrs.
her cuts arent deep so I have been told.
Brief summary of why I am here: my oldest difficult child has been a handful for a long time. I came to this board a few years back when I had no where else to turn.
I placed my difficult child in a short tern Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for 6mths. She came out worse. My insurance wouldnt pay for her to stay any longer. We brought her home (she was 16yr) at the time. She kept running away. I asked DCFS to help me with her before she was released from the Residential Treatment Center (RTC).
I couldnt control her outbursts, we had cops at out door, trouble at school, she would run away so I finally signed her over to DCFS. I placed her in foster care voluntarily nearly 2yrs ago.
Its been so much better on the rest of my family since difficult child has been in care, but she still seems to be getting into trouble. After being in foster care for 2mths she went on the run for 4 days.. ended up in DT.
She has done all sorts of thing for attention in the past, not eating (but sneaking food at night), running away, sluffing school the list goes on. My difficult child is forever making fires and we are forever putting them out.
Right now her current diagnosis is depression. Everything else has been ruled out (she has been diagnosed with all sorts in the past). We are currently waiting on her to have a MMPI test done.
Tonight we went to visit difficult child at her new job, husband seen cut marks on her arm.
So I wrote a letter to her dcfs worker: We (all the family) went to visit difficult child at her new job this evening took pics of her in her micky ds uniform etc and had a chat with her.
husband noticed her arm had cut marks on it. When she was asked the first time by husband difficult child avoided to answer.
She came back over to talk to us a little while later and husband asked her again how long has she been cutting. She said 1.5yrs. She said she cuts on other parts of her body. She was cautious but open about it, she also tried to minimize the situation and avoid the questions.
I didnt say a word I didnt want to give her the attention she is seeking from it. I asked her all about her job etc.
I called foster mom when I got home to ask her if she knew. foster mom said she knew and she had told dcfs health lady and she is sure difficult child has told her therapist. difficult child teacher, mentor also know about it. She is sure everyone knows who needs to know. I dont know why we werent told about it.
foster mom says when difficult child cuts she uses scissors. She cuts after she has issues with b/friends usually, and she shows foster mom the following day. She usually cuts late at night on her legs and arms.
foster mom hasnt made a big deal of it because she thinks difficult child is doing it for attention, husband and I agree with her.
husband and I would like this addressed though in the next CFTM (child family team meeting). Just so everyone knows and is aware of the problem. I dont want to make a big deal out of it so maybe just address it in an email instead of when difficult child is at the CFTM.
Ours concerns are: If the scissors are dirty, or wounds become infected, or if it gets out of hand one day when her world is on fire (a phrase difficult child has used before when she has called us up from foster moms, when everything has gone bad in her life).
difficult child hates shots; foster mom has said the cuts arent deep. Im just shocked difficult child has resorted to this. She has always said she would never cut. foster mom said difficult child and ex boyfriend would take turns he would do it one night she would do it the next night.
I sure hope she isnt doing it in front of the girl she shares her room with since its late at night.
MY difficult child has always been an attention seeker. I have detached allot since she has been in care.
Have any of you experienced this with a difficult child similar to mine? Do any of you have cutters? Any advice is welcome. I dont know how to handle this situation.
Masta
her cuts arent deep so I have been told.
Brief summary of why I am here: my oldest difficult child has been a handful for a long time. I came to this board a few years back when I had no where else to turn.
I placed my difficult child in a short tern Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for 6mths. She came out worse. My insurance wouldnt pay for her to stay any longer. We brought her home (she was 16yr) at the time. She kept running away. I asked DCFS to help me with her before she was released from the Residential Treatment Center (RTC).
I couldnt control her outbursts, we had cops at out door, trouble at school, she would run away so I finally signed her over to DCFS. I placed her in foster care voluntarily nearly 2yrs ago.
Its been so much better on the rest of my family since difficult child has been in care, but she still seems to be getting into trouble. After being in foster care for 2mths she went on the run for 4 days.. ended up in DT.
She has done all sorts of thing for attention in the past, not eating (but sneaking food at night), running away, sluffing school the list goes on. My difficult child is forever making fires and we are forever putting them out.
Right now her current diagnosis is depression. Everything else has been ruled out (she has been diagnosed with all sorts in the past). We are currently waiting on her to have a MMPI test done.
Tonight we went to visit difficult child at her new job, husband seen cut marks on her arm.
So I wrote a letter to her dcfs worker: We (all the family) went to visit difficult child at her new job this evening took pics of her in her micky ds uniform etc and had a chat with her.
husband noticed her arm had cut marks on it. When she was asked the first time by husband difficult child avoided to answer.
She came back over to talk to us a little while later and husband asked her again how long has she been cutting. She said 1.5yrs. She said she cuts on other parts of her body. She was cautious but open about it, she also tried to minimize the situation and avoid the questions.
I didnt say a word I didnt want to give her the attention she is seeking from it. I asked her all about her job etc.
I called foster mom when I got home to ask her if she knew. foster mom said she knew and she had told dcfs health lady and she is sure difficult child has told her therapist. difficult child teacher, mentor also know about it. She is sure everyone knows who needs to know. I dont know why we werent told about it.
foster mom says when difficult child cuts she uses scissors. She cuts after she has issues with b/friends usually, and she shows foster mom the following day. She usually cuts late at night on her legs and arms.
foster mom hasnt made a big deal of it because she thinks difficult child is doing it for attention, husband and I agree with her.
husband and I would like this addressed though in the next CFTM (child family team meeting). Just so everyone knows and is aware of the problem. I dont want to make a big deal out of it so maybe just address it in an email instead of when difficult child is at the CFTM.
Ours concerns are: If the scissors are dirty, or wounds become infected, or if it gets out of hand one day when her world is on fire (a phrase difficult child has used before when she has called us up from foster moms, when everything has gone bad in her life).
difficult child hates shots; foster mom has said the cuts arent deep. Im just shocked difficult child has resorted to this. She has always said she would never cut. foster mom said difficult child and ex boyfriend would take turns he would do it one night she would do it the next night.
I sure hope she isnt doing it in front of the girl she shares her room with since its late at night.
MY difficult child has always been an attention seeker. I have detached allot since she has been in care.
Have any of you experienced this with a difficult child similar to mine? Do any of you have cutters? Any advice is welcome. I dont know how to handle this situation.
Masta