A MUM whose daughter has taken five overdoses in two years has spoken of the terrible impact of her daughter’s mental health issues.

After her 15-year-old daughter was admitted after a fifth attempt on her life last November, the mum-of-two told the Echo: “Losing my daughter is the only thing I can visualise. I’m absolutely terrified to take her out of hospital.”

Emily (not her real name) suffers with depression and self harms, burning and cutting herself so badly her mum has had to take her to A&E for emergency treatment.

She first took an overdose of paracetamol aged 13, and has overdosed on pills three further times since. Last year she drank bleach.

Her mother Rachel, whose name we have changed to protect her identity, said each time she has been discharged from hospital and sent home.

“If she is medically fit to come out of hospital they will send her home.

“They tell you it’s not going to happen again – but it does.

“I don’t know where to go from here.”

In November 2013, following another suicide attempt, the teenager was admitted to a unit in Swindon where she remained for two weeks. Pebble Lodge, a specialist in-patient hospital specifically for adolescents in Bournemouth – has few beds and serves the whole county.

“Mental health is becoming more and more of an issue,” added Rachel.

“There is so much pressure on young people and they can’t handle it. I had to travel nearly three and a half hours every day to get my daughter some help.”

“If she broke her leg they’d treat her until it was better. When it comes to mental health there’s nothing out there for these children. In her heart Emily wants to be like any other 15-year-old but she can’t because something in her head is not right.

“She needs specialist care to find out why she keeps overdosing.

“Her little body can’t keep coping with this.

“I can’t be with her 24/7 – I have to go to work. My poor son is so traumatised by it.

“They don’t think about the big picture – the long term effects on everybody.”

She added: “We need to be able to work through this and come out the other side before I lose my daughter.

“It’s all I can think about. I can’t sleep. That’s all I can see – burying my daughter before me.”