Hi Nelie
My heart goes out to as you work so hard to help your son and as you feel so deeply for him at the same time. As a mum, I can say to feel so deeply for our child when they're in pain is painful and at times overwhelming.
If your son's a sensitive guy, I imagine him to be a deeply feeling person. Do you have any idea what challenge or challenges he's trying to feel his way though? For example, does he feel the apprenticeship was not really him? Say, if he was studying/practicing carpentry, did he get to a point where he could feel he's just not a carpenter and maybe he's left feeling no solid sense of identity? Kind of like a 'stuck in limbo' feeling. Is he perhaps sensitive enough to feel his own thoughts and feel the impact of his imagination. While this is a gift if what we think and imagine are inspiring, it can feel more like a curse if our thoughts and what we see in our mind are depressing.
Do you wonder what your son imagines when it comes to seeing a mental health professional? Based on his one time visit, does he imagine all therapists as being the same? Maybe he sees them as simply semi-detached shirt and tie people who pick at your brain with a load of ridiculous questions which appear to be leading nowhere. Must admit, during my years in depression, this describes the 2nd therapist I saw. I didn't see him for long. Being pretty sensitive myself, I could feel I was just another client and I just could not shake that feeling. It just felt so cold, clinical. I'm glad the 1st one I saw was a laid back open minded jeans and jumper guy who had no issue with putting his feet up on the desk. Unfortunately, he was simply trained as a counselor and not a psychologist, so he could only help me so much. What I loved most about him was his openness, such as in telling me he was no expert at life, for if he was he wouldn't be divorced. I suppose his mantra was kind of like 'We all get it wrong here and there, on our way to getting it right'. I felt his genuine interest as a guide, his warmth. Would be interesting to get your son's take on what he was feeling/sensing about that therapist he saw. Maybe he was spot on. What do you think he'd say if you suggested 'I want you to get a feel for the right guide in life. Too cold/clinical, we move on. Let's take the Goldilocks approach 'til you find what's just right'? Also, if you feel meds will prevent you from getting a better sense of why and how you're feeling your challenges, we can look into that'.
