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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

adult son lying

17 replies

hillyupnorth · 17/07/2026 02:07

I just wanted to write this because I have no one to talk to
We have an adult son(20) he has ADHD and is immature for his age. There has been a long history of behaviour problems. He isn't working and spends his UC on cannabis. We do not tolerate cannabis in our home or property but he keeps sneaking it in and hiding it.
I can always smell it and I put it outside.
But he continues to bring hide it in his room. He often smokes it in his room in the middle of the night. He thinks he can hide the smell with his window open and then lies when we tell him. I've had to tell him to leave the garden at night a few times as he was sat smoking it. It's incredibly disrespectful and sneaky. It's a tiny garden, with close neighbours. Some have small children and windows are open due to hot weather. Sometimes he's pretended to leave and then just gone straight back and sat down again. I had to chase him away. Because of that he was shouting and disturbing our neighbours.
We've explained the fire risk and that the house insurance doesn't cover smoking but he doesn't care.
There have been a couple of incidents (about 6 months ago) where he called an ambulance saying he wanted to harm himself. My husband went with him to A+E the most recent time -waited 5 hours with him to see the mental health nurses. They spent about half an hour giving him advice. He then refused their recommendation to see the GP for some therapy etc.
He hasn't done anything like that since.
Tonight I've heard balloons in his room. I called him and spoke calmly to him (he's in the attic bedroom) and told him to take it away and leave the house for tonight. He got very angry and denied having it. He said why would I do that?! Stop accusing me and making me feel bad".
I heard it a second time and also heard heavy metal cannister thump on floor.
I again asked him to take it away. He came storming down the stairs, yelling very loud and aggressively shouting "prove I'm fking doing it then !", keep going on about it and see what fking happens! "
He then went back to his room and slammed the door. He's lying and being aggressive. When he gets angry it's frightening.
He's had nitrous oxide twice before. The first time, he wouldn't let me in the room, even though I could hear the balloons. I said I was coming into his room because I was concerned about his wellbeing.
He physically blocked me from going to his room. He was pushing against me and I had to retreat because I was scared of falling down the attic stairs. The second time I found 2 cannisters in his room when I was cleaning some orange juice off the carpet. Each time I've explained to him that it's been embarrassing having to take the cannisters to the council tip, for proper disposal. Yet he's done it again.
I've said don't bring them to the house, they are illegal and a fire risk.
We can't let him have a house key because of the risk to our property. We've tried leaving him before for short periods of time and he just abused the trust.
He is still talking loudly on phone and sleep is impossible.
I've been using a voice recorder when he starts shouting because it's horrible

OP posts:
Tamtim · 17/07/2026 03:43

Kick him out.

DoAWheelie · 17/07/2026 04:21

You can't make someone change, or force them to engage with services. The only thing you can do is change your own response to how he acts.

He doesn't listen to you when you ask him to do things elsewhere but it seems you never actually issue any consequences. You are both stuck in a loop doing the same things over and over.

For starters, I wouldn't be just "putting the drugs outside" I'd be destroying them on sight. Next time he is out of the house, remove the bedroom door so he can't lock himself in there hiding things.

If nothing else improves then kicking him out might be the last resort but it wouldn't me my first choice in this situation. Currently your actions are showing a lot of tolerance to his behaviour even though your words don't - he may realise how serious you are about it once you start backing up what you say.

italianmountains · 17/07/2026 05:07

Goodness, you have described my life. There are so many similarities to my own son, now in his thirties who has ADHD and later diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Our lives and that of our other children were completely dominated by this moods and violent actions, and I personally lived in complete terror, One evening when he was at his worst, damaging our home and threatening behaviour, I called 999. I asked for him to be removed from our home. I did not think I could ever do that as I loved him so much, but my fear of him was greater than the love. And I also had to consider the needs of his siblings who were also afraid of him. That was ten years ago now and the best thing I ever did, for all of us, including him. I will never regret my action, I wish I had done it sooner. I really wish you well, OP.

NotAnotherScarf · 17/07/2026 06:13

You are not helping him. You are allowing his behaviour by letting him live with you. He is 22, not 16. One day you and your partner will be dead and he will have to cope alone. Make him leave, tell him you love him but he's disrespecting you and your home.

ADHD is not an excuse to break your rules. You need to get him to run his own life, deal with his issues as no one can do it for him

Corianda · 17/07/2026 06:17

Is he medicated?
Did he try medication?

TheCurious0range · 17/07/2026 06:23

My husband has ADHD and as much as it does affect him and has made things more difficult for him especially until he was diagnosed later in life, he holds a management level job in a recognised profession. Behaviour is separate to a diagnosis, he is an adult and is choosing not to get help or support. You don't have to have him live with you.

Tablesandchairs23 · 17/07/2026 06:38

I've got Adhd im not a lying work shy idiot. Dont use his adhd as an excuse for his behaviour. Tell him to leave you cant live in fear in your own home.

Morepositivemum · 17/07/2026 06:39

I don’t know what you should do but I disagree with kicking him out. I know two young men on the streets because their parents, I don’t know, thought it would kick them to change, no, both homeless, one off his face all the time.

Does he ever speak rationally op, does he ever partake in family life or talk about what he’d like from life? Has he ever attended talks on adhd or read books on it or had it explained? Can you look into support groups for yourself?

PersephoneParlormaid · 17/07/2026 06:42

Life is too short to put up with this.

IronEverything · 17/07/2026 06:48

He can obviously get away with doing these things time and time again so why would he stop?

Change your behaviour first because you are facilitating this.

IronEverything · 17/07/2026 06:51

Morepositivemum · 17/07/2026 06:39

I don’t know what you should do but I disagree with kicking him out. I know two young men on the streets because their parents, I don’t know, thought it would kick them to change, no, both homeless, one off his face all the time.

Does he ever speak rationally op, does he ever partake in family life or talk about what he’d like from life? Has he ever attended talks on adhd or read books on it or had it explained? Can you look into support groups for yourself?

Why are you making out that it is the parents' fault that they are like that? Because it most certainly isn't.

Morepositivemum · 17/07/2026 07:03

IronEverything

I didn’t mean for it to seem like I was blaming them but as someone who had a sibling with mh issues (although no drug issues hence I was saying I couldn’t help), I do know that my parents had times when it was easier to talk to him and he went to a few talks with them that helped in some cases (made him feel bad in others so I can’t always recommend). We’ve gone to talks that support families of adults and children with these issues

Cevita · 17/07/2026 07:04

Op, he sounds like he’s a danger to himself and, more concerningly, others. I would be calling the police and I don’t say that lightly

1willgetthere · 17/07/2026 07:07

You say you tell him not to use drugs due to the house insurance and being embarrassed taking the bottles to the skip but (and it may be you have and havent written it ) have you explained the impact drugs can have on his health and mental health?

To those saying he is 20 not 16, adhd can cause slow maturity, when my son was diagnosed the info from the NHS said a third behind peers so that would put him at 15 in maturity years.

Is he medicated for his ADHD ? I would try to get him down that route if not and try to get him some mental health support to work on his addiction and find some goals in life.

Heretohelp1111 · 17/07/2026 07:21

Tell him he’s an adult now and you have expectations regarding his behaviour which if he doesn’t respect will mean you ask him to find alternative accommodation. Explain that given his age and sex he might be offered hostel accommodation but otherwise given that he’s unlikely to be able to afford to rent his own place he’ll be sofa surfing or renting a room in a shared house. Tell him because you understand none of these options are ideal he has a 2 week trial to see if he can respect the rules. Tell him during that time if he breaks the rules you’ll give him 4 weeks notice. In that instance you can explain you’re happy to assist him in finding new accommodation, packing his bags etc, but no other chances will be offered.

Ohdearnotthisagain · 17/07/2026 08:01

Jeez, my parents told my sister to leave for a lot less. Tell him he has two weeks to find a flat share and leave. Destroy any drugs in the meantime. If it escalates, call the police.

My good friend’s family had to get the police involved and then change the locks on her brother. Very sad but necessary.

Coralsunset · 17/07/2026 09:06

He needs to leave your house, sorry.

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