Lately, I’ve been really concerned about my 13 year old son. He barely leaves his room anymore and whenever I try to talk to him, he just seems upset or disappointed with everything. He has no friends, avoids interacting with people, and doesn’t seem to care about school at all. I know teenage years can be tough but it feels like something more is going on. I feel so helpless. I want to help him but I don’t know how to get through to him. Anyone else been through this? What should I do?
Hey Michael, I just want to say you’re not alone. My oldest went through something really similar around the same age and it was one of the hardest things we’ve dealt with as a family. For us, it started with little things like he stopped playing his favorite games, didn’t want to go out with us, and spent hours in his room. It felt like no matter what we did, he shut us out.
What really helped was taking small steps and showing up for him in ways that didn’t feel like pressure. We started doing activities side by side, like watching a show he liked or going for late night drives. Sometimes we didn’t even talk much, but just being there made a difference. It gave him space to open up when he was ready, and eventually, he did.
If you can, I’d also recommend finding someone neutral he can talk to like a school counselor or therapist. It took us a while to get there, but having someone outside the family to talk to really helped my son work through what he was feeling. You’re already doing an amazing job by being aware and reaching out here. Hang in there. Things can get better even if it feels impossible right now.