My 16-year-old came to me two weeks ago. She said she had been having dark thoughts and wasn't coping. I was so frightened that I said completely the wrong things. I told her not to be dramatic. I asked her what she had to be sad about. I saw her face close like a door.
She said she was fine and went to her room. She has barely spoken to me since.
I am not a person who handles emotion well. I was raised in a home where feelings were not discussed. I did not know how to receive what she was giving me and I failed her.
I need to fix this. I need to reach her before she stops reaching out. What do I say? How do I open the door again without pushing it further shut? And how do I make sure that if she comes to me again, I respond like a parent rather than a frightened person?