You are trying so hard, but at 22 he needs you to take a step back so he can breathe
My 22-year-old son is about to start his third year of a four-year degree course, and he is living at home. He has always been quiet and introverted, but popular. Three years ago, when challenged by one of his sisters as to why he never tells us anything, he confided that he had been suffering from anxiety and feeling worthless. I felt sad for him, and powerless.
We also discovered that he was smoking cannabis. I threatened to throw him out if he didn’t stop. There have been times when he has barely come out of his room, and others when he’s been better. He has tried antidepressants, at my suggestion. I have also advised that he see a counsellor, and he has done so; he says it has been helping.
