FORUMS

Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

  • 47,612Members
  • 1,358,869Posts
  • 1,400,000Visitors
Friends, families and carers

23 year old son

23 year old son

Hi everyone

I saw an ad for this site online and thought it sounded very appropriate for me. I will start off by telling you a bit about my family.

I have 4 children - my two boys and then I have two step children, a girl and a boy.

My youngest son died in 2015, due to a variety of decisons he made that eventually lead him to relying on life support, which we chose to switch off after 7 days. He would be 21 this year. My little baby now looking down on us.

It has been very difficult for our family these last couple of years, but we have been strong for each other and pulled through times we thought we really wouldn't.

My other son, 23, I thought was going along relatively ok until the last 4 - 5 months. He came to me quite upset earlier this year asking for my help to book a GP appointment due to what appeared to him as very bad anxiety. I helped him booked an appointment and urged our local headspace to let him in as soon as possible despite an apparent 12 week wait. He has been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

He has been seeking help from a psychologist and taking medication, only been to two of his psych appointments and recently seemed very physical unwell, extremley anxious, bad tempered. I found out he has stopped taking his medication abruptly.

I'm just stuck on how to help him when the help was offered and seemed to be ok but he has now started to refuse it. He lives out of home, plays football at semi professional level, and is the manager of a local cafe, so he is doing very well for himself, I just don't understand how I can help him when he has just decided not to seek help anymore and will not speak to me or anyone about it. He needs this support and has said that himself but keeps brushing off the idea of telling his gp what has happened.

93 replies

31 - 40 of 93
1...345...10

In response to: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

All this time I thought he was happy @soul and its breaks my heart that he isn't

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

He has so many reasons to be happy @lovemyboys. The fact that he isn't is certainly a cause for concern. Was he on meds for long last time? Why did he discontinue?

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

I hope that after that outpouring to you, a good cry and a restful sleep, things will look brighter in the light of day. Keep those lines of communication open but try not to act too anxious around him. To have someone that he can talk freely about the things that stress him is therapy in itself.

Go gently @lovemyboys. You do love your boys and girl. Don't forget to love yourself as well.

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

not long at at all, really not long, a couple of months maybe. I'm not sure why he stopped, I'm hoping we can work this one out.
Thank you for your support @soul
I'm off to bed now - where I'll lay awake with worry for a few hours then hopefully get a bit of sleep

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

Thinking of you @lovemyboys and hope that you and your son got some much needed restorative sleep. Also hoping that today is a better one for you both. I can understand that your son's state of mind yesterday came as a bit of a shock and may well have triggered all sorts of feelings of helplessness and regret in you.

Keep him close and let him know that he is a wonderful person and that he has your full support, that you care deeply for him and want him to be happy. And very importantly, take care of yourself as well.

In response to: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

Thanks @soul
I heard him take himself off to work at 6 this morning so haven't seen him yet.

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

Hope things are better today.

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

Thanks @soul No response to my message about if he's ok and if he'll be staying here again tonight. I hate to overwhelm him and crowd him

In response to: Re: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

Probably best to give him a bit of space @lovemyboys. If he's anything like my son when it comes to responding to messages, he'll get back to you in a couple of days 😩

In response to: 23 year old son

Re: 23 year old son

That is true @soul
I'm sure he responds to his friends quicker than he does to me. I think he forgets about the "Seen" feature...
31 - 40 of 93
1...345...10