• Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 70 subscribers
  • Views 1324 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

HELP !!!

NAS71537

Hi,

My son is 19. He has depression, anxiety, low mood, low self esteem, anger, frustration, eating problems resulting in weight loss, excessive sweating and is awaiting an Autism assessment.

He has tried Sertraline, Mirtazapine, Citralopram and Propranolol. . . . none have suited.

He refuses to attend any type of Talking therapy and being put in a 'talking, social' situation terrifies him, he just can't do it.

This has gone on now for around 10 years and we are getting no where.

For him now, he sees that no one and nothing can help him; Its either antidepressants or talking therapy and tablets haven't worked and he can't do therapy.

As time goes on things are becoming increasingly worse for him. It is also very hard as parents. . . .what else can we do to help him ?

I have approached his doctor about trying more antidepressants, referral to see a clinical psychiatrist, hormone specialist , prescribed antiperspirants, everything and anything i can think of to show him people are trying to help him. . . . . but she has dismissed all of these requests.

There seems to be a lack of support for us as parents too. It would be so nice to get help and advice from professionals as to how we get through this too. We can't just not do anything  . . . . .any advice and guidance from anyone out there would be most appreciated.

Thank you x

Parents

  • I really wish I could offer some help in this area - and the causes of what your son is going through may be multi-faceted.

    I can only speak from personal history and the only suggestion I can offer is that perhaps your son feels alone, in the sense that he doesn't think there's anyone who can connect with his experience of what he's going through. There may be a sense of self-protection which paradoxically means pushing away the very people who are trying to help him. There may be a need to be understood, or heard non-judgmentally and in a supportive environment but he may also not not know how or where he can do that, or if those options are there he may not feel able to do so.

    I can only suggest of trying to find ways of getting him to open up and somehow be able to share his experiences, if not with yourselves, then through some other means. I found that I was only able to move in the right direction through connection with others - either through sympathetic colleagues at work who were willing to listen, this forum, or through a trained counsellor (the last I paid for privately because it was important that I had some control over who I was seeing rather than feel I was "on the rails through the system" and being steered by someone who barely knew me). That wasn't easy - I'm fiercely private and I felt I could (should) be able to manage things on my own. It was hard for me to accept I couldn't.  

    There is a charity Young Minds https://youngminds.org.uk/ who may be able to help. They have a parents helpline service at https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-helpline/

    There's also the NHS Every Mind Matters site https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/childrens-mental-health/ which has some additional resources for parents. 

    I hope they can help. 

    Best wishes.

    E

Reply

  • I really wish I could offer some help in this area - and the causes of what your son is going through may be multi-faceted.

    I can only speak from personal history and the only suggestion I can offer is that perhaps your son feels alone, in the sense that he doesn't think there's anyone who can connect with his experience of what he's going through. There may be a sense of self-protection which paradoxically means pushing away the very people who are trying to help him. There may be a need to be understood, or heard non-judgmentally and in a supportive environment but he may also not not know how or where he can do that, or if those options are there he may not feel able to do so.

    I can only suggest of trying to find ways of getting him to open up and somehow be able to share his experiences, if not with yourselves, then through some other means. I found that I was only able to move in the right direction through connection with others - either through sympathetic colleagues at work who were willing to listen, this forum, or through a trained counsellor (the last I paid for privately because it was important that I had some control over who I was seeing rather than feel I was "on the rails through the system" and being steered by someone who barely knew me). That wasn't easy - I'm fiercely private and I felt I could (should) be able to manage things on my own. It was hard for me to accept I couldn't.  

    There is a charity Young Minds https://youngminds.org.uk/ who may be able to help. They have a parents helpline service at https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-helpline/

    There's also the NHS Every Mind Matters site https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/childrens-mental-health/ which has some additional resources for parents. 

    I hope they can help. 

    Best wishes.

    E

Children
No Data