Hello @hlvslp72, Your post brought back a lot of memories for me. Our son will be 49 this year. When he was about 13 he went through a lot of the same things. He was always super smart and much more so than dad. When he was in the 5th grade during the summer he went to a chess camp and ended up being the champion. He played me twice and then wouldn't play with me anymore and when I asked him why he said sorry dad it's too easy when I play you. He started having problems in the 7th grade and spent a year in a hospital ward seeing psychiatrists, trying different treatments until they finally through their hands up and said there was nothing they could do. We had to take him to a state hospital and it was pretty much a low point in both my wife's and my life. Probably one of the times I had contemplated suicide but couldn't because of my son and my wife.

When we meet with the social worker at the state hospital I pretty much thought it was a permanent thing. I think the social worker figured this out and told us point blank I don't know what you are thinking but this is not a forever thing. We are here to teach these kids how to live in the real world on their own and teach them coping skills. We were not allowed to visit him for 30 days and he hated every minute of the 6 months he was there. It was a God send because he did come home different. He had several relapses and met regularly with his doctor who tried several new drugs and finally was able to help him. The world of mental health has improved 10 fold since those years so I am really hopeful for you. I know what you must be going through and I feel for you. One of the best things my wife and I did was find a local support group with parents who were facing similar challenges. The support group was part of NAMI - https://www.nami.org/. I would recommend seeing if you can find a local support group if possible.

Our son is doing great now but he has his challenges. He still lives with us but he has always been able to keep a job and provide for his needs. Keep up the great work supporting and advocating for your son and make sure you take care of yourselves too.

John