DS acting strangely... Any advice?

[Anonymous]

OP, is he eating? Any changes in diet to go along with the weight loss?

[Anonymous]

OP: You need to get more information. Air tag + Life 360, as recommended. Search all electronic devices. Randomly pop into his room at 1 am one night and see what's up. Absolutely get up and see what's going on if you hear him up in the early hours. Drug test. Full screen by a psychiatrist. Also, does he have any old/good friends you know and trust? If so, reach out to them as well. This is definitely serious (physical, behavioral and mental symptoms all of which would be independent red flags), so you need to figure out what it is ASAP. I don't personally think drugs are the most likely explanation, but obviously they are one explanation.

[Anonymous]

Gaming

Also schizophrenia can start this way.

[Anonymous]

There are medical conditions that could result in unexplained weight loss, disrupted sleep, and low motivation/fatigue. Have you done any bloodwork?

[Anonymous]

Walking around in the middle of the night not weird for my kids.

Weight loss is weird as are teachers reaching out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gaming

Also schizophrenia can start this way.

I hate to say it, but my brother‘s schizophrenia started with him having insomnia, losing a bunch of weight, and becoming fixated on certain things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those were the exact same behaviors my son started exhibiting at age 15. Like to a T. It was not drugs or vaping. It was the onset of bipolar 2, which came with the most serious crushing depression and self injurious behavior and serious (not cry for help) suicide attempts as well as violence towards others.

Unfortunately OP it might be this. More common than people realize.

Phone in his room at night not ok given he's missing class that is your reason for removing it from his room This way there is a concreate reason not just because mom says so.

I would search his room as well just to help put the pieces together to get him help. Whether it is drugs or a mental disorder help sooner rather than later.

Something also could have happened to him and he's not dealing with it well and he's not telling you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s enough red flags that you should search his room thoroughly for any drug paraphernalia. Does he have access to any prescription medication that he should not have? I truly hope that’s not what’s going on but these behaviors are very worrisome. But at the very least he needs to be in class every day or have serious consequences at home. You can check your router for any unknown device devices connecting to your network. Do you require he keeps his phone in your bedroom at night time? If not you should start.

I will search his room tomorrow when he is at his lacrosse practice. I am also ordering a drug test for him to take if this continues. He is not on any prescription drugs. I take anti-depressants (bupropion) but I keep them locked away in my room.

When I have spoken to him about his absences, he becomes cagey, and says that he is in school and his teachers are marking him absent. However, I know I need to lay the law down. I will be discussing this with DH when he gets home.

He keeps his phone in his room at night.

Oh gosh. I am a teacher and I had a student pull this with his mom. I kept calling home and leaving messages, and he kept telling her that he was in class and I was just inexplicably not seeing him and then taking time to call home. Yeah, no, no teacher is going to make that mistake.

Maybe you can say, "I've asked the school to call me immediately the next time you are absent from a class. I'll come down to school and pull you out of class, and then we can talk to the principal about why your teachers keep making this mistake."

Good luck, OP. He's starting to fall through the cracks and you need to catch him.

+1

Also, his phone needs to be plugged in to charge in your room, not his, each night. Agree on a time (e.g. 9PM) by which he needs to "dock it" in your room, and if he fails to do so, he loses it the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are medical conditions that could result in unexplained weight loss, disrupted sleep, and low motivation/fatigue. Have you done any bloodwork?

For example:

Addison’s disease: weight loss, difficulty falling asleep and frequent wake-ups, fatigue.

Hyperthyroidism: weight loss, irritability, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, fast heartbeat, fatigue

Type 1 diabetes: weight loss, extreme irritability, fatigue/low motivation, frequent wake-ups due excessive thirst/urination and muscle cramps.

If you haven’t done bloodwork, I’d ask for a CBC, metabolic panel, and thyroid panel.

- not a doctor but have been through it

[Anonymous]

I would also check with the lacrosse coach to see if they have noticed anything amiss.

[Anonymous]

Drugs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schizophrenia can emerge in males from ages 15-23. He's in the right age range. And usually the first symptoms are irritability and insomnia not hallucinations.

My son developed psychosis from smoking weed. Drug test him stat. He started acting paranoid and hearing voices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schizophrenia can emerge in males from ages 15-23. He's in the right age range. And usually the first symptoms are irritability and insomnia not hallucinations.

My son developed psychosis from smoking weed. Drug test him stat. He started acting paranoid and hearing voices.

WSJ reported on this.

More Teens Who Use Marijuana Are Suffering From Psychosis: More potent cannabis and more frequent use are contributing to higher rates of psychosis, especially in young people https://www.wsj.com/us-news/marijuana-depression-psychosis-869490d1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schizophrenia can emerge in males from ages 15-23. He's in the right age range. And usually the first symptoms are irritability and insomnia not hallucinations.

That’s quite a jump. While it’s certainly possible, teenagers exhibit many signs that would be considered mental illness in adults, but are in fact normal teenage behavior.

[Anonymous]

Drugs, bullying, onset of mental illness, something traumatic happened and he’s not telling you.

Yes doctor/psych but he’s not going to just tell a new therapist much - if you have any adults he trusts who could talk to him first to figure out what’s going on - this would be my first move.