14 year old boy with anxiety/mild depression

[Anonymous222]

My 14 year old son is struggling with anxiety. He is at a point that he doesn't care if he misses school. He is especially fearful of going into one of his classrooms as he had a panic attack once on the way there.

Wondering if anyone knows of a meet up group for teenagers in the Los Angeles area. I think it is important for him to know that others are going through the same thing. It would also help to bounce ideas off of one another.

Also, I just recently discovered a book and program (Panic away) written by Barry Mcdonagh. The concept seems to me to be worthwhile and effective. We watched the panic away videos together, and it described his symptoms to a tee, however he doesn't seem to think it would benefit him. I just think it's the anxiety talking. He also doesn't like putting in the work. All he wants to do it seems like is take magic "herbs" to be healed.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or guidance.

[Justswimming]

I take melatonin with thealine an amino acid comes in gummy form it helps you relax..I take at nt. Does he exercise? That would help..swimming. Shooting hoops whatever..he's to young to start popping xanax and you don't want him to smoke pot. is he drinking any of those energy drinks ? They are loaded with caffeine and b vitamins and that can make you jittery. Make sure he knows not to use K2 which is synthetic marijuana but can be lethal they sell it in some bodega's. Sorry I don't know about therapy groups but you're guidance counselor at school should. Is anyone bullying him?

[Anonymous222 in reply to Justswimming]

Thank you so much for your reply. I did get it out of him once, when he came home really angry from school that a kid in class is making comments to him. I told the dean at his HS who's really on top of things, and I'm hoping it was dealt with.

He is part of a swimming team, which meets up twice a week, but it's always difficult convincing him to go. He prefers to dig his head in his cell phone, because he says that distracts him from whatever problems he has.

[Justswimming in reply to Anonymous222]

Yeah ...kids find ways to bully anyway.. My daughter is the same age and she says it goes on ..she would never bully anyone but sometimes kids are afraid to do anything because it would bring attention to themselves.. He can even get comments through group chats on his phone...did you talk to the parents of whatever kid or kids were making comments? If that kid gets his phone taken away for a period of time that'll wake him up..you should be a follower on whatever Snapchat Instagram etc ..so many ways people have access to kids these days is scary

[Anonymous222]

Yes social media terrifies me! I don't know that kid or his parents, because my son is reluctant to tell me. But I am hoping it is resolved!

[samjon1]

Hello, I have been off this forum for a while but what you go through is exactly what am in. For a few weeks ago I started staying at my Aunt's place but now I panic a lot whenever I meet with her husband, my uncle. He is the best person anyone would like to stay with and the home has many people but I still feel lonely, I feel am isolated from everyone, I fear the future, who will employ me after my bachelors degree because I fear bosses to extent of trembling and having nothing to speak before them, I feel no one understands, I feel am not worth staying with people because I give them hard time, let me kneel down and pray, it's what is left for me. Sorry that maybe I can't help you with the situation you are in.

[upsetmamma]

My son started out with missing a ton of school. It got to the point that he dropped out Sophomore year. I found a school anxiety/school refusal program for him that helped transition him into going back. He finished Junior and Senior year, then had the same troubles in college. He has been to an intensive, outpatient program recently and quit. He has been on several anti-depressants. Nothing was helping. I found a clinical neuro psychologist that ran several tests and found some brain damage. She thought that was causing much of his depression and anxiety. He will be starting neuro biofeedback treatment next week.

Good luck. Stay strong and patient. It is a very tough thing to go through with them.