Dropping out and depression

[CherryBlossomChicken]

My son has left his uni course and seems lost. Does anyone have any advice for how to help him. He started games design course but didn't make friends on his course or at his accommodation, he tried one society but didn't get any confidence or social life from that. He has terrible eczema problem linked to his anxiety issues, this was under control but he had a bad flare up when he came to a crisis point in January. He has always been atopic , asthma, ezcema, nut allergy. He is home with parents and a younger sibling, he is on antidepressants and we found a Psychotherapist for him. He isn't seeing friends and couldn't cope with a job right now. He plays computer games and spends time playing piano but it feels like he is so far away from being OK and I don't know how to parent this. He is 18, very sensitive, very bright, very unhappy. Does anyone have similar experience? Thanks

How long has it been since he left uni? I’d give him a bit of time to decompress. But then I’d expect him to be doing something. That could be a job at a local cafe or a local tech shop or gaming centre or music store, whatever. Or volunteer work doing something he enjoys. In time, if financially viable, he might consider travel or a working holiday.

Dropping out isn’t a failure. It’s just a change of course. It’s very likely there is a different programme that might be better suited to him. I actually dropped out of uni twice (once as an undergraduate and once in a master’s programme). It wasn’t the right thing for me at the right time. I needed a bit more life experience and a bit of a change of direction. I went on to re-start and I finished with a PhD and have had a very happy and successful life.

He can apply again through UCAS until quite late or via Clearing - he's got time to think about what he wants to do next, including whether he wants to go back to uni now, and if so, what he wants to study.