17 Year old mental health - online content

xzanti

A close friend of mine has a son who's 17 and experiencing some mental distress at the minute.

He is potentially mildly on the spectrum but has never received an official diagnosis despite many assessments over the course of his education. He is high functioning and very academic.

My friend has confided in me that last year he became very distressed over some online horror content. A type of creepy pasta animation. It was giving him nightmares; but he felt compelled to keep watching it. To the point where he thought about self harming in order to stop himself from watching it.

The parents removed his access to the Internet at the time. His tablet or Whatever devices he had, and the problem seemed to go away. Which the kid seemed happy with.

Now he is doing a college course and needs a phone which was given to him in good faith that his obsession with the upsetting content had ceased.

However my friend yesterday discovered him sweating and upset in his room and he told her he has been again looking at this particular webpage.

So, my friend is at her wits end. He needs his phone for college. She can't watch him 24/7. She called pieta house looking for advice about the self harm ideation. She was told he doesn't fit the "criteria" for their assistance.

I'm pretty sure he's too old for CAHMS as he's nearly an adult.

I'm hoping someone here has some advice. Maybe you've been through something similar. Can you recommend a good psychologist who deals with people on the spectrum?

Thanks in advance.

shesty

There should be college counsellors or support.Can she look into those?

xzanti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120137387#Comment_120137387

Thanks. I'll put it to her.

AndrewJRenko

There are apps that can restrict what types of websites he can visit on the phone, though there may well be deeper issues that need to be addressed.

Everlong1

Mightn't be any use but there's an online youth mental health service called Spunout that might be worth a look - it's for 16 -25 year olds and is supported and endorsed by the HSE.

xzanti

Thanks folks. Very much appreciated.