Verónica endured twelve years of anxiety that began with daily morning vomiting long before school. Bullying started when she was nine and intensified into a near-fatal crisis during her second year in secondary school. Her mother, María, recalls the moment: “She stopped getting out of bed. She stopped eating, sleeping, washing. She didn’t want to see anyone or leave her room. I cried and listened to music.” Even Verónica’s hair started thinning from iron deficiency, a clear sign of the toll it took on her body.
Both are fictional names chosen by the family to protect privacy, but the ordeal is real. It tells the story of a young woman from Mislata whose life was driven toward self-harm and a suicide attempt by relentless bullying. This mirrors cases reported by the Prensa Ibérica group Levante-EMV after an institute board resigned amid accusations of educational negligence that left fifteen suicidal students without adequate support.
Verónica’s nightmare began in the third grade when classmates tormented her in the schoolyard. “The center offered no solution, and things only worsened. If we had intervened sooner, perhaps it wouldn’t have ended this way,” María laments.
The harassment intensified in high school as she moved into a class with girls who bullied her. “There were strong insults in front of many peers. They called her degrading names, worse things followed,” María explains. She began retreating to the porch, isolating herself as the taunting escalated. The school counselor attempted to help, but according to María, the guidance did not lead to improvement.
“Mom, I don’t want to go to school”
In the second year of ESO, Verónica stopped sleeping. “She was so anxious that sleep eluded her and mornings found her exhausted, unable to attend classes,” María says. The anxiety triggered morning vomiting and occasional fainting. There were days when she simply refused to get out of bed. “There was a day she told me, ‘Mom, I don’t want to get up,’” María recalls.
She skipped high school for a quarter, and the guidance counselor offered little relief. “She locked herself in her room to cry. She stopped eating and drinking with friends, lost sleep, and stopped washing,” her mother describes. Cruel incidents persisted. On one occasion, a group of peers arranged a meet-up to play, she dressed for the occasion, and then they teased and ambushed her by ringing the bell and watching her retreat — a memory that still haunts María.
Verónica remained isolated, refusing food, and María sought medical help. The pediatrician referred her to the Aldaia Mental Health Unit, where she began regular visits with a psychologist and a psychiatrist, with sedatives and antidepressants forming part of the care plan.
The young woman gradually began to lift her head. She even celebrated a birthday with her family, but the resurgence of the pandemic era brought new struggles. A diagnosis emerged: social phobia, depression, and anxiety. Medication was stopped at one point, complicating her recovery.
December 2020 marked a devastating moment: at age 13, Verónica attempted suicide, leaving a four-page farewell note. She was admitted to Manises hospital, then transferred to La Fe. Maria later discovered that her daughter had kept a diary of her feelings for some time, with lines like “everyone hurts me” and “I’ve never felt so bad.” The discovery overwhelmed a mother already eight months pregnant with her second child.
“No one cares about families”
María used maternity leave to care for Verónica, ultimately quitting her job and then relying on unemployment, subsidies, and social services. “No one considers families. I could not work while my daughter faced danger and despair,” she says. Although mental health services focus on the individual, she questions how a family can survive financially while providing constant care. Subsidies helped, but savings disappeared.
Throughout the process, the entire family suffered. Siblings pulled away, and the household stretched to its limits. “Support needs to be 24 hours,” María says, recalling awakenings at 3 a.m. to check on Verónica’s room, driven by fear and anxiety.
Fortunately, Verónica’s story turned a corner when a public health psychiatrist began weekly visits. Now sixteen, she remains cautious but increasingly social. A gym routine helped rebuild confidence, and with renewed energy she began preparing for exams to enter middle school again and pursue studies with purpose.
María’s reflections remain raw. The question lingers: what would have happened if the early signs had been recognized and acted upon? She notes the lack of timely attention from schools and counselors and hopes to help other families prepare for this life-or-death scenario. “We must learn to recognize signals in children because the future of this generation depends on it,” she asserts. The message to parents is clear: seek early, sustained, and comprehensive support to safeguard a child’s mental health and well-being.
The mother also offers a call to action for parents facing similar challenges: awareness, resilience, and proactive engagement are key. When communities come together, families can navigate these storms and help young people reclaim their lives from the grips of anxiety and despair.