Hi Worried Dad,
Thanks for reaching out on the forums. You clearly are a supportive father, which is an important aspect of any major change in a child's life.
Your son has undertaken two major shifts in a short space of time, having left school and commenced employment. It is understandable that this could generate a lot of stress for him. There are factors including navigating new relationships with colleagues, challenges maintaining friendships from school now that he's "out of the loop" and fears that he may be doubting his decision.
It sounds as though he is having a difficult time adapting to the new environment. Your support is certainly most important at this point. Has he experienced any anxiety in the past? What has helped at these times?
Your question about professional input is a valid one. It can be challenging for a child to take that first step to make contact. I'd suggest that you consider touching base with headspace, beyond blue or encouraging him to make an appointment with his GP to discuss these feelings and potentially to get a referral to a psychologist. Ultimately, this needs to be his decision.
In the short term, perhaps asking your son whether there are any factors at play that are contributing to this anxiety might allow him to open up to you.
I wish you and your son the best. Please update us with how things are going.
