DS15 feeling sad and anxious, worried he's never going to stop feeling this way

[AlwaysTheGoodGirl]

DS15 is doing brilliantly at school, is very popular with the other kids according to his teachers, but has recently fallen into what feels like depression. He describes it as feeling "glitched" and says he feels as if he's always waiting for something bad to happen, or worrying that something bad will happen to me for example. Over the past week or so he has been occasionally crying when talking to me, and is so clingy it's like having a baby again, he won't let me out of his sight. It's awful to see him in tears and I am trying my best to give him all of my time and to try and reassure him this is just something you can feel when teenage hormones are racing around your body. I felt exactly the same at 15 and would burst into tears at the drop of a hat with my own mum, for no reason at all. Am I doing the right thing trying to convince him this is a phase everyone goes through and it will pass? Does everyone actually go through this? He just keeps repeating that he's worried he will feel like this forever and I'm running out of things to say.

How long has he felt like this? Try talking with your GP as your first port of call. They may have some ideas, or suggest a CAMHS referral if it's been going on for long. Sometimes as a mum you just can't fix things. Going through similar with my DD14 💐

Sounds like he may potentially be experiencing intrusive thoughts?
my friends daughter experienced something similar and it escalated with her starting to show symptoms of OCD.
basically she would have thoughts of bad things happening to loved ones or even her doing something to cause people harm and was unable to regulate that these were just thoughts and they would take over.

she had an extensive 12 weeks of CBT and a year on is a completely different teen

maybe worthwhile looking into

@MackenCheese This has been going on for maybe the past three months or so, on and off. He was doing well for a couple of weeks but has fallen right back into it in the past few days. I actually took him to hospital for an unrelated physical problem about a month ago but we also mentioned his feelings and they went through a mental health checklist with him. The doctor didn't seem too concerned and gave us a few leaflets to take home with young people's mental health websites etc. Maybe I do need to escalate it a bit with the GP.

@Imnoonesfool That does sound similar. He likes to have me firing questions at him all the time so he can think and concentrate and forget about these feelings for a while, in an OCD way possibly. Yes, he says he often worries that I'm going to get lost or not come home. CBT sounds like a good idea. I do think he would benefit from talking to someone who isn't me, just for an independent angle on what is going on. I'm worried that I am contributing to it as home life is a bit tense at the moment between me and his dad as we have been unhappy for a long time, and I think he really picks up on that. Am I making it worse by prolonging it, or will I make it worse by deciding to make a massive change to our lives? All I want is what's best for him and my other son.

CBT is a good way forward - my son started to suffer with intrusive thoughts and ocd tendencies as that age and it escalated quite badly.

2 years on he is still working his way through it all and it's a hell of a journey - so please don't delay.

Could this 'just' be a reaction to what he can see happening with his mum and dad's relationship?

If your husband is a decent father and man, would he be open to chatting with your son alongside you to reassure him that he's both of your top priorities and any difficulties you're having as a couple arent something he needs to worry himself about

have you checked what he’s been looking at on social media sites and what he’s been reading online?