Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Philippa Perry

My grownup son is gaming all day and lives on takeaways

Teenage,Boy,In,A,Bedroom,Listening,To,Music,Through,HisTeenage boy in a bedroom listening to music through his smartphone; Shutterstock ID 1090254734; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -
Screen time: ‘It won’t be helping him if he knows you see him as a problem.’ Photograph: Shutterstock

The question My son is 26 and intelligent and lives on his own. But he can’t hold down a job and spends his time playing video games and living on takeaways. He has inherited some money, which is about to run out.

The problems began when he started smoking cannabis at 16. It quickly became a serious addiction. He has struggled with depression since his teens and has seen several counsellors, but doesn’t appear to have made much progress. He takes antidepressants, which help a bit. He stopped smoking quite abruptly about a year ago, but not much changed. He is doing an access to higher education course and has a university place in September, but he rarely goes to college. He never cleans up, doesn’t do laundry and his personal hygiene is poor. I’ve been doing his housework, but he’s asked me to stop. I want to, but I also know how disgusting it will get.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.