DS1 is 17 and he is so angry all the time. He has always had a bit of a temper even when younger but could bounce back and be cheerful quite quickly.This is different - it's a kind of constant smouldering resentment. I found myself responding to him in kind and he was getting worse - I have stepped back and tried to be more sympathetic. it's worked in that he's opened up more about the things that make him angry but it hasn't helped in that I can see his anger is totally disproportionate. He seems to assume the worst of everyone and can't be persuaded to take a different view.
He flunked his GCSEs back in 2013 and he is now doing a course in Furniture Making - he has been given the chance to get some paid work experience which may well lead to an apprenticeship - something that is rare as hen's teeth. He wants this to work but is being so bloody negative about all the preparation he has to do. I have told him it will be worth it, I have told him he needs to be patient but he resents his tutor, he resents being told to come in extra days to get some experience of working with the workshop technician, he just seems to resent everything. He has done some paid work over the summer but seems to bloody resent that too!
I remember my brother being the same at this age and giving my mother hell - in fact their relationship has never really recovered. And my nephew who is 18m older is acting the same way apparently. I just don;t know what to do to make things different.
The other factor in this is that I suffer from depression. I discovered recently that my brother does too and, like me, has done for years. I wonder if it would be worth seeing the GP about this for DS.