Basically, my daughter is torturing us all the time. I am suicidal. . . . I have nothing to live for. . . . I've run out of doctors. I've run out of energy.
Some parents join support groups for parents of mentally ill children.
The Texas Alliance for the Mentally Ill offers a class on dealing with emotional disorders. The 12-hour course covers symptoms, medication, communication, coping and advocacy. Minton took the course in July and now plans to teach it herself. The more knowledge you have, the more you are capable of dealing with. That's not to say it doesn't get overwhelming.