<p>I thought I owed it to all the kind responders to my original post to provide an update. Six months later the situation with my son is much improved. The school allowed him to drop the courses he did not need to graduate, and let him finish the required courses over the summer with a tutor. He is now back in school and on track to graduate.</p>
<p>The next step is college. He has been looking at SLCs that don’t require board scores (he signed up a couple of times but never could make it to the test). He has visited a few schools that look promising.</p>
<p>Although his mood is much better there have been a few hiccups along the way and his overall self-esteem issues are still there. So we’ve come a long way, but still a long way to go – getting into college, getting through college, etc. As they say, one step at a time!</p>
<p>Some school districts have online options. Some schools do. That with a tutor might be the way to go, and then a gap year and maybe going to a local school, starting on a part time basis. Most kids do not go away to college. And of those who do, all sorts of mental, behaviorial, mood emotional issues run rampant, due to the kids’ ages, the stresses and responsibilities of living pretty much on one’s own without parents around, and the social interactions that occur. Real depression and other mental issue triggers at an age when folks are so susceptible to this. So that would be my game plan with an eye out for signs of changing it around if it makes sense.</p>
<p>Some friends of ours have a son, dad is a full prof at major uni mom is a psychologist went through the same thing as you are right now. A year of home schooling through some on line school, sophomore year, after major breakdown as a 15 year old freshman, along with behaviorial, drug, police issues, followed by going to a very small Catholic school junior and senior year seemed to put the young man on track. He is now going to college and is living on campus, and has a ROTC scholarship and is thrving. I guess having those issues out of the way, that early has its advantages because any such issues later would have closed off some of those options.</p>
<p>Thanks for the update, LurkerDad. We went through something similar with our D when she was a sophomore in HS. She ended up transferring to a small private school and managed to graduate as salutatorian last year, but while she was in the midst of her depression, I had no idea if we would ever get our child back. </p>
<p>The good thing is that she learned to manage her issues while safely at home, and went off her meds last spring to see how she’d do. She’s now in her first semester at college. She has hit a few bumps in the road, but has sought counseling and will go back on the Lexapro if she needs to now that she knows what to look for. I do think this is a long-term issue for some people and one step at a time is the only way to go!</p>
<p>My only advice to you is that no matter how strong your son is feeling when the time comes to actually pick his college, encourage him to pick one close to home because you just don’t know what’s coming. We are so glad we did this with our daughter.</p>
<p>Lukerdad, sorry I just responded to your original post and did not notice that it went on for a second page.</p>
<p>Just read your update, and I want to say that I am so glad things are better. Yes, this happens a lot. One doesn’t hear much about it as it ain’t braggin’ news to put in the annual Christmas letter. But you are not alone.</p>
<p>Thank you for the update, Lurkerdad. I’m glad your son is doing better.</p>
<p>As others mentioned, it’s actually good that this happened while at home. Both of my children have mood issues and while traumatic at the time of the first breakdowns, I’ve become very thankful that it happened before they turned 18. We have so much more control prior to age 18, when they are still living at home and health professionals and teachers are more willing and able to work with the parents. They have the opportunity to get stabilized on medications and be (more) healed emotionally before stepping out into the world.</p>
<p>well im a senior and last year i was a 11th grader my boyfriend stopped going to school he doesnt really have a family and im the only one who was there for him so i pushed him to go to school i started off with small things telling him if he go back to school or get good grades then we would go out with our friends then he started doing better with out me pushing so i bought him a brand new phone even though we dont go out no more were bestfriends and he still want me to push him so what im trying to say is reward him with small things dont be afriad to be a pusher</p>