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QUESTION:
"My daughter is almost 13. She has anxiety and some depression. She is quite intelligent and I love her to pieces. 6 months ago she tried to kill our family pet. While my partner was on the treadmill (10 ft away in another room) my child got our dogs insulin and injected him, causing an overdose of medicine. When she finally(after a hospital stay and begging for answers) told us why: it’s because we had to leave our friends house and miss the fireworks to go home & give the dog his medicine. We were shocked, hurt & in utter disbelief. We spend time with her, communicate and try to understand why she carries a dark cloud over her head all the time. She’s in therapy but it hasn’t seemed to work. My partner is low key terrified of her because every time my daughter doesn’t get to do something or whatever- she retaliates in some form or fashion against friends, myself and mostly my partner. Crazy thing is, they used to be so close and with her trying to unalive our little special needs dog, things haven’t been the same. It’s driving a wedge between my marriage. My kid never apologizes when she does bad things and always refuses to take responsibility for anything! Idk what to do."
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TOP ANSWERS (AS SELECTED BY MODERATOR):
The following top answers have been selected by a moderator from hundreds of responses to the original question.
"That’s psychotic. She needs thoroughly evaluated"
"She’s quite obviously a sociopath and only ‘gets her way’(to her) when she forces negative emotions on others. Straight up psych ward for at least a 2 month stay with daily therapy sessions IMO. This is coming from someone with bipolar 2 disorder who has been locked up. I knew a girl in my psych ward that killed animals/hurt siblings to get her way. She herself admitted she probably would be better suited to an institutionalized life. I don’t think your daughter is anywhere near there, but if she isn’t put up somewhere where she gets 24/7 supervision and help, she could end up hurting people."
"Sounds like a new therapist and possibly medication. My daughter and I both have Anxiety and Depression and we are not like that at all. But everyone is completely different. That’s extremely scary she sounds very dangerous."
"Your partner has a right to be lowkey terrified, this behavior is horrifying. I know you said she has a therapist but that’s clearly not cutting it. If I were in your position I’d be seeking further psychiatric help, possibly medication. This seems like a very serious situation and I’d be super concerned as well."
"Sounds like psychopathic tendencies. If she lacks empathy towards people and animals, I would highly recommend getting her evaluated by a psychologist, not a therapist!!! She needs Psychiatric help! If she can do that to an animal then what’s stopping her from harming a human next time? Need to take action now to prevent anything worse from happening."
"Sociopathic tendencies; needs immediate evaluation and therapy."
"Killing animals or attempting to kill them is never a good sign, your daughters old enough to know right from wrong. I pray you get the help she needs"
"I recommend a psychological evaluation…asap…has she ever had one of these before? And is she on any type of medication?..you need immediate help from some professionals… have you reported this behavior to her doctor? And what is the therapist saying about this recent ordeal? So much info left out…but immediate professional help is needed right away…this does not sound like just depression and anxiety…anyone who does that to animals will also do it to another human being. I cannot express enough that you all need some help…but your daughter is a danger to others…this is going to require way more help than. You as a parent can give her…many thoughts and prayers for all of you…"
"Your daughter has more than anxiety and some depression. She needs more than therapy. She needs to see a psychiatrist. In the meantime, you’ll need to fully supervise her and never leave her alone with any vulnerable people or pets. I’m so sorry to hear this. I hope you get some answers and the help that’s needed."
"Hurting animals is a red flag and needs to be addressed by a professional. I don’t know her history but I would be very worried about any underlying trauma. Take her to a child psychologist who is knowledgeable about this type of behavior and is trauma informed. Please monitor her with other pets, younger children and vulnerable people. I don’t mean to scare you but she has things to work out. Using physical discipline will likely worsen the situation."
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