Quote From: marcia1234It's one thing to remember when they were tiny and needed you and the
tantrums were fleeting, but another to deal with the daily lying,
anger, harassment by your teen, and the fear that they will do
something dangerous to you or themselves. Sometimes drastic
measures are all that are left. Not everyone can afford a
$5,000/month therapeutic school.
Amen to you I say. Tough love is just that, tough love. Went thru similar problems with our youngest daughter. She had a loving, two parent home and still was not happy. She left home at 16 to live with her grandparents after a "professional" told her she should live wherever she felt most comfortable. Granny is a master of enabling and lets her do whatever she wants. We have a tenuous relationship at best. Now that she is 18 she only comes around when she needs something, usually money.
She went to the $5000/mo theraputic school. The teachings have kept her clean and sober, so I guess you can call it success. My husband and I have greatly benefitted from the parallel family sessions that they had. It helped us get over the guilt of feeling like we failed. We came to realize it is HER series of poor choices that landed her where she is, not ours. We did the best we could and then some. I feel for all you parents going thru the same issues. Hang in there and stay together.