How Much More ....

[~Trish~]

Sorry you are going through this at the moment Trish. I obviously have no experience, but I have two step-brothers who have been in trouble with the law frequently. Both were really affected by their parent's divorce (mum walked out).

All I could suggest is, have you tried counselling? Maybe it would help if you and Brandon could talk with a professional about how he is feeling about life, etc.? He sounds like he has a lot of hurt (maybe from not having dad at home?) and it may help to sort through the issues and work out ways to manage them.

Again, I don't know, I'm no expert and you may have already gone down that path. I just wanted to pop in and tell you that you are doing a great job, I know you are doing everything you can .

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I have no advice but I wanted to offer many .

[ElleJay]

I have no advice but I wanted to offer many .

I'm exactly the same as Ashlea, I've got no advice whatsoever but I wanted to pop in and send lots of hugs

[Trish]

Thank you all so much for your advice and hugs. It really does mean alot to me.

Cricket, we do have a Big Brother's program here. Thanks for the idea. Brandon does have several male role models for him in his life. And several that he can talk to. He just chooses not to. KWIM.

Vicky, that sounds like a great book. I will have to keep an eye out for it. Thanks for your advice too.

Trish, Brandon has seen a counsellor at school and also a child psychologist, each come up with different things. One says he is suffering with depression and anxiety, the other says he's just being a teenager....

Do you ever feel like just putting things in the "too hard basket" and coming back to it later, or getting someone else to solve it for you ? That's the way I feel most days lately. Only I know that I can't do it.

[paradise lost]

Trish this sounds obvious but have you asked him why HE thinks he does these things?

He might not know of course. When i was 14 i was on the Pill and dating a 20 year old and when my mum asked "why are you DOING this?" i replied "Doing what?" and remember feeling so perplexed that she didn't get me wanting to be a grown up...obviously when i was 14 i didn't know what grown up meant!

I just wonder though if he thinks ahead at all, if he wonders what will happen next week or next month or next year if he continues to act like this? TBH depression and anxiety sound likely to me, but then how do you know? With this sort of thing, you just have to wait and see how they are at 20, and only THEN can you tell if they were the extreme end of normal or actually had some kind of problem happening.

Trish hun i really feel for you. It must be SO SO hard.

Lots of love

Bx