Any experience of catatonia type breakdown in teenage boy?

[Pleasedontdothat]

Ds is 19 and has had moderate-severe depression for about 18 months now. He was diagnosed with ASD when he was 4 and had always struggled with school, despite having a statement (now EHCP). He’s been on fluoxetine for about a year which seemed to be helping after a couple of months and he was well enough to start a btec at college in September (he’d dropped out of sixth form a week into Y13 so didn’t take his A-levels.

For some reason a few weeks ago he stopped taking his medication for a few days which precipitated a steep decline in his mood. For the last few days he’s been spending more and more time lying in bed staring at the ceiling. Yesterday he didn’t come downstairs at all and didn’t eat or drink anything all day. He’s not had a shower for about a week. Dh said at one point he went into his room to find him standing at the window not moving - he said he was hot and was going to open the window but he didn’t finish the movement and sat down on his bed again and didn’t move from the same position until I came home several hours later. I rang the national Autistic Society helpline and they suggested he could be having a catatonia type breakdown. Does anyone have any experience of something similar and if so, what helped?

You need to contact your gp and / or the mental health team if he is under their care.

I have had this kind of problem myself with depression as an adult- it gradually resolved but with medication from a psychiatrist & a lot of support from my family.
I couldn't even be bothered to get a glass of water at one time. I live alone so if it wasn't for my mum calling round after work I would not have eaten.

Luckily for me I knew I was ill so could call my mental health team & I was happy to take my anti depressants.

Does your son have this insight into his condition?

He may need different anti depressants but how he responds to that is up to him as he's classed as an adult now - however he may even need to be sectioned.

Contact the gp etc and state how serious things are but also intervene yourself - make him food & drinks and try to make him have them.
Go up to his room and get him talking. Etc.

Thanks @tierraJ - I’m glad you came through something similar. He’s got an appointment with the mental health nurse but I’ve no idea if I’m going to be able to get him there (they won’t do a home visit). We do try to engage him as much as we can but he gets agitated if we push too hard (and he can perceive the slightest encouragement as too much pressure pressure so it’s a balancing act). He thinks that he’s just a bit down and everything will be fine and doesn’t appreciate how abnormal his behaviour has become

My brother went through this, also autistic and on ADs until very recently (now early 40s). Its like an extreme autistic shutdown. Therapy and the correct meds dorted my brother out eventually.