Adult daughter with mental health issues has cut me out of her life

Unfortunately her husband cannot make her access help or do anything. It's not fair to expect that of him. He can encourage and support but it's in your daughter's hands to decide to access helps.

Thanks for this, like your words re space. Already having counselling - originally to help me with losing my sister to cancer but this situation has now become the focus of our sessions. Re community mental health team dd will no longer engage with nhs as she feels they have let her down in the past so they are not involved. I agree with her I understand how wary she is, however this means she looks for support on line and has engaged with a number of alternative therapies some of which appear to make things worse. Her husband and I communicate as I think it is important for him to know there is someone out there for him. He has no one else - he is lovely patient and kind and I make sure he knows how much I value all he does - I just wish that he could use his influence to ensure she accesses professional help.

Astral has given some very good advice, if agencies are engaged already then there will have been safeguarding evaluations done.

Given the current climate with Covid children are not able to socialise out with the school environment, so what tangible changes do you envision happening in the immediate future?

I would tread very cautiously in your shoes, the best thing to offer is unconditional support and availability.

I'm a bit worried about some of the advice here.

Anyone involved in mental health will be trained in safeguarding, if there are concerns over your granddaughter, they will have been raised already.

Many families are spending a great deal of time at home right now, as long as your granddaughter is loved she will be resilient enough to cope with that. She has socialisation at school.

If you call social services, you run the risk of your daughter guessing it was you. You will lose her and your granddaughter if social services become involved and find no issues.

As for her husband, he is not enabling her, he is supporting her, she is doing the right thing and getting help. If he were to push her, she may very well go backwards.

I think you need to take a step back and just offer positive support. You may destroy your relationship for good on this path, when your daughter is already pulling away from you.

I'm sorry but the way she will probably look at it is you being controlling or seeking revenge. Two years and you didn't report her, she pulls away and suddenly she is investigated, that's very easy math.

at least she goes to school.
thank goodness they are not home-schooling.

could you ring the NSPCC advice line and share your concerns with them.
all the best.
it does sound an unhealthy environment for the child.
not the worst, but with such isolation, not the best.
good luck.

Libbylou99 the past is not something you can deal with right now.
You need to make that call for your granddaughter's sake. That's all you need to do for now.
It is scary, I know; I've done it and it wasn't even family.

Libbylou, you are not responsible for the actions of your ex-husband. If that had an effect on your daughter, then that is on him. It makes sense this would affect her but there is probably a lot more at play, some which you might not be aware of.

Stay way from blaming the spouse for enabling. He is supporting, no doubt is part of your daughter's care team, and has a big load to carry as the primary support of your daughter. He deserves credit for the hard yards he is doing here, not to be accused of enabling. It's not his responsibility to fix your daughter but to support her as she does the work to get better.

Your daughter has a mental health team and they know she has a daughter. Mental health teams usually work with the whole family unit. They may be in contact with the school regularly already and may be watching things. I don't know how it works in your area though, so can't assume.

You said you are in pieces tonight so this is not the best time to be making that decision. Wait until you have calmed down. Then make the best decision that is right for your granddaughter, keeping in mind that professionals can probably hear you out but can't offer any feedback or information to you.

When you are ready, give some honest thought as to why your daughter might have backed away. She might just need some space, it might be because of her condition, it might be because you have pushed too hard or got too involved or the husband has felt judged. I know how hard it must be not to get very involved, you're her mother and love her and want to do anything you can to help her. That might not be the role that she wants you to have though, as hard as it is for you. It's hard to be a mother and see our children struggling. Some professional support for yourself might be good and might help you work through the decision of whether to contact someone further for your grandchild, or not.

I think one of the other children got in touch with her. She knew about them. I talked openly with my family when this all came to light. But have now discovered my ex told them it was not true. I do whether he had said anything else. My other children asked me not to discuss any concerns I have about them over the years as he always twists my words. I wonder if he has said anything. He has form with this - when we split up he told my sister that it was me that had the affairs so I didn’t even have her support at that time.

Sorry that sounded pathetic am in pieces tonight did not mean to rude.

What happened that you were welcome in their lives and then just not welcome anymore?

Something had to trigger it

Fair point but they have not accepted the help she needs and are not engaging with the support offered. Dad is becoming depressed and is drinking an unhealthy amount. There are no other adults involved at all - I am the only support they have Of course I take responsibility for what happened I live with it daily. I cope with it by remembering I was the victim of appalling mind games and I did the best I could in the circumstances I was given. Is it then my punishment that I should stand by while a small child’s needs are not met. I think I will be sticking with the earlier advice and no longer participate in this thread.

Granddaughter's welfare is important, yes.

However, the daughter has a very severe severe anxiety and it could be partly to the way she was raised.

If the family has proper mental care, I would back off.
They are healing their wounds and learning to cope with their mental health.

It is not OP's job to rescue the gd when OP is a crucial part of the background that may have been part of what is going on now

Thanks all - my child protection training tells me this is the right thing to do but it’s good to have this bolstered by talking to others. It just feels like such a big step when it is your own family. I think I am letting my own guilt stop me from action but as you say all adults have a duty of care for a minor.

libbylou my grandaughters welfare would come first in this situation. She's a child with 2 parents who don't appear to be acknowledging her needs.
Apologies if that sounds harsh but children always come first in these situations. They haven't got a voice and someone has to speak up for them.

Libbylou99 the one thing that is drummed into us at all my training courses is that "Safeguarding is everyone's concern."
Even more so when it's your granddaughter x

Illte yes I should have said "tell the school about your justified concerns..."
I agree they might not wish to have a discussion with Libbylou99 but they ought to be prepared to listen to her. It might tie in with their own observations.

Undoubtedly a factor but the issue is even if dd needs space right now should I ignore the risks this pose to my granddaughter’s well-being. As the only adult aware of the situation I feel I m letting her down

For feted read affected

Thanks all i think you are right re supporting from a distance and being patient. Having said that I am concerned that my granddaughter is being feted by this. I have spoken to the school before in confidence ( I am an ex senco which I think helped facilitate a discussion). I subsequently suggested to my dd that she makes me an emergency contact think I will get back to the head also take the advice re a conversation with social services without making a report at this stage. Quite scared but cannot just stand by as the only other adult in her life.

I take my first comment back Libby. Doesn’t sound too much at all ?

Please do not blame yourself - life throws stuff at us and we just have to do our best at the time it happens. You do not know that your DD would have been free of MH problems in any other scenario.

Sometimes when people go through therapy it does throw up memories which impact on family and those around them. Just try and keep the door open and send messages.

Good luck with all this.

Just to say a school can’t discuss a child with anyone except parents or someone in a designated caring capacity.

Don’t be disappointed if you get a firm rejection to a phone call to the school.

Looks like your dd is taking all the measures to take care of her mental health and her family's. They are definitely in a rough spot

"The background to all this is that I was married to a deceptive and manipulative man. I put up with too much divorcing him when I discovered he had 3 children with other women. My daughter has undoubtedly been severely effected by this."
Could this a factor why your dd has estranged?

I would be seriously concerned for the whole family. There are mental health professionals involved but their advice is not being followed.

Your granddaughter is suffering emotionally, even if it is unintentional.

You can phone the children's social services in their area and talk in confidence to them.

You could also phone your granddaughter's school and talk to them about your justified concerns.

This situation could very easily get out of hand. Please don't ignore it.