My son turned 14 last year, and that’s when the anxiety really started showing up.
He’d always been a sensitive kid — thoughtful, quiet, the one who noticed everything — but suddenly school felt overwhelming. Tests, social pressure, the constant comparison on social media, staying up too late scrolling. He’d come home quiet, spend hours in his room, snap at small things, then feel terrible about it. Mornings were the worst: he’d wake up already tense, stomach in knots, saying he didn’t want to go. I watched him shrink a little more each week, and it broke my heart. Continue reading →