Harm, Hospitalization, and Treading Carefully

An Image That Forced the World to Listen

At age 10, A. was involved in a car accident and suffered from pain. After saying she felt like she was choking, she stopped speaking for 24 hours. Since no physical findings were identified, emotional therapy was recommended, and for a year she was treated by a social worker and a psychiatrist. During COVID, the psychiatrist noticed the early signs of anorexia in A., who at age 11.5 was exercising for hours and was afraid to eat. Her condition deteriorated, and at age 14 she collapsed on her way to school. That same day, she stopped speaking again, closed her eyes, and disconnected.

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After a week of tests in the pediatric ward, it was determined that the issue was emotional — depression and anorexia. During a month-long hospitalization in the mental health ward, A.'s deeply held secret was revealed: she had been sexually assaulted at school and had never told anyone. The discovery allowed the team to treat her in the appropriate way. Over the course of three months, A. underwent rehabilitation — a process that involved pain, flashbacks, dissociative episodes, and self-harm. The school principal refused to take her back, and she studied in an alternative learning framework for five months. Today she experiences mild depression, has overcome the anorexia, and incidents of self-harm are infrequent. Her mother feels that A. received support and guidance throughout the entire journey, which has allowed her to recover and lead as healthy a life as possible.

A., a mother of a teenage girl, shares that one of the most difficult moments was when a photo of her daughter attempting to harm herself was circulated on social media and reached every young person in their community. She felt that the school staff were primarily concerned with the impact on the other children, while her daughter's distress was treated as secondary. She chose to cope through action — searching for the right therapists and the right framework. A. discovered how few people truly understand the depth of this struggle. Her message is to find someone to confide in, because there is no shame in facing mental health challenges — and it is never the person's choice.

Anorexia and Uncovering What Was Hidden

At age 7, A. experienced severe violence from a group of children at school — an event that led her to cry, withdraw, and stop eating. She was treated by a psychiatrist and a dietitian, and began receiving medication. The symptoms worsened — violence, running away from home, locking herself in her room, and drastic weight loss. Although hospitalization was mentioned, it took the parents time to understand that it was what was needed. After further deterioration and additional professional opinions, they realized their daughter was experiencing suicidal thoughts, and two days before the agreed hospitalization date, A. attempted to take her own life and was found at the last moment with half her body hanging out of a window. At age 9, she was admitted to the mental health hospital in Ness Ziona.

The beginning was difficult: the realization that she would be staying there alone, and the struggle of the siblings left at home without both parents. The parents felt a daily grief for the child she had been until age 7 — a child who would never return. Close family members also went through a process of grief, though most could not contain the situation. The family felt loneliness, guilt, shame, judgment, a sense of being different, and an unwillingness to explain to others what was happening. The financial impact was also significant, and at a certain point they stopped receiving support from the state. They learned firsthand how hard it is to be "part of the mental health community." After a series of tests and attempts to stabilize her at the hospital, A. was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

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After about a year and four months, A. returned home, but the decline was not far behind, and the dream of returning to being a "normal" family was shattered. A. moved to a post-hospitalization residential facility, where she remains to this day and receives a supportive framework of structure, a dedicated team, clear boundaries, and stability. Her parents visit her every week and have gone back to being "just" her parents. Her mother (Y.) admires her daughter's resilience, and the whole family has learned to be more accepting of one another and to come together. After addressing the needs of the siblings, the parents were able to focus on rebuilding their relationship. Their most important message is that they will be there for their children "no matter what."