Your Open QuestionShow me another »
My 12 year old Stepsons cries and shuts down all the time?
I have been with my wife since my step son was 3 years old. Since then he has always had social issues interacting with other kids and adults. He does not talk to other kids unless the ice has been broken for him to talk and become friends. The teachers say he has a lot of friends at school, but when he comes home he talks to none his friends and never wants to hang out with anyone. When faced with any sort of decision making he shuts down and cries and he can’t tell you why….”I don’t know why I’m crying”. For years we have been concerned but did nothing in fear that seeing a doctor would make it worse. Now it has gotten to the point where other kids laugh and make fun of him because he cries sometimes when someone asks him a question. Example: last year for his birthday we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday party, he said “I don’t know”. Well the previous year we took a bunch kids laser quest and they all had a blast, and it was nice to see him interacting with other kids. Anyways, we gave him a few days to think about it, and asked him again. The same thing “I don’t know”. So I then decided to make up 4 cool options that I knew he and his friends would enjoy. We gave him the four options on cue cards with one blank one for him to make his own option if he didn’t like any of the four provided. Two days later we called him into our room to ask him if he decided he wanted to do, all he could do was stand there and cry. When we asked him why he was crying, “I don’t know” he would say over and over He couldn’t give us an answer. He didn’t want to do any of the suggested ideals nor did he want to create his own (which is fine) but yet he could not tell us why, HE REALLY DIDN’T KNOW….
It really is strange because for years I have tried to look for a pattern that triggers this (not enough sleep, too much sugar, stress, pressure, lack of attention) and I have been unable to figure this out. So we decide to go see a Doctor and explain. The Doctors say its social anxiety and that we should put him on Prozac and or see a therapist. We are strongly against Prozac for a young child especially after reading the suicide rate in children on Prozac. We tried a therapist but he too was unable to get our child to open up. He would just sit there and cry when asked questions and say “I don’t know”
My question is, now what? Does anyone have any firsthand experience with this or any similar cases in other children they have seen? We are lost and concerned and
Please don’t get me wrong, this is a good kid who does well in school and loves his family, brother and sister, but once or twice a month has incident like the example explained here.
Any constructive feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you

Please go see a counsellor maybe a school counsellor for this kind of problem.
Only a School Counsellor will truly be able to help you in this situation at least a school will be able to help you much better than anyone here in Yahoo! Answers will.