troubled teen now hearing voices

[auntd]

I wonder if anyone can offer any advice/light?
I have an adopted son of 17, he is lovely but had a very difficult early start and struggles with life at times. He's in a stable place at the moment with a lovely girlfriend who he has had for over a year.
He has recently started therapy again (at his suggestion) and has started sharing lots of stuff with me. This includes drug taking, being friends with some very scary people. He says this is something he now wants to put behind him. We had a very turbulent lockdown, there has been police involvement in the past so I carry a lot of anxiety.
His latest 'share' with me is that he hears voices threatening him when he's walking in the dark. The voices are of former friends who are pretty nasty. I simply don't know how worried to be- whether to take action- whether it's linked to drug use etc.
It's all a bit much

I would definitely get him to a doctor so they can determine why he is hearing voices. It could be due to anxiety, schizophrenia, etc, but whatever the case, this needs to be investigated to ensure he's getting the proper treatment.

Hi I’m not a medical professional but I had an aunt with schizophrenia who’s children were taken into care.
It can be hereditary- do you have access to the mental health history surrounding his birth relatives?
I don’t want to worry you - that is the worst case scenario though, it could equally be just an adverse reaction to the psychotic drugs - (smoking weed etc ) the sort of thing that beta blockers would sort out.

thanks for the replies. I have had a chat with his therapist this morning and feeling a bit more reassured. She thinks its anxiety driven due the nature of his past experiences that he's now dealing with. There's no history in birth family that we know of, but of course there could be stuff we don't know about.

Oh the poor lad.
I'm so sorry you are going through this, but at least he trusts you to open up and he is engaging.
He is acknowledging he has a problem or at least he needs support.

I am awake worrying about mine who refuses to engage. We have become a family with a CIN overnight.
Although we all see the manipulation and abuse over the last few years, now.

Who on earth believes that your child has abused you, 3 family members, and the rest of the family manipulated. Reduced parents to wrecks through mental torture.
Pulled the wool over all the agencies.

There needs to be more family support for this age, it's shocking.
The law has parental responsibility to 18. Yet they can leave home when they want. They are ill and vulnerable.
Sorry.

It is good that he is motivated to do therapy. He may need to see a gp but as therapist said its anxiety based. He seems to have stepped away from the stress which was the cause so a brighter future is likely. Look after yourself, take time to do things you enjoy. He is lucky to have you.

Didn’t want to read and run, but as I’m sure you know cannabis is linked with increased risk of psychosis especially the strong, skunk stuff which apparently is quite prevalent in the streets these days. I would think you should discuss his drug use and the increased risk this could be putting his mental health under

I second the skunk suspicion.

Schizophrenia usually presents at a later age.