Hi @melinee ,
Thanks so much for posting, and welcome to the ReachOut community. You're definitely not alone - a lot of parents have posted about their concerns about their teens' mental health and using cannabis. I will tag in a few other parents here who may have been through similar experiences as you and your family.
I hear your concern and love for your son in your post, it must be a really helpless feeling as a parent when your teen doesn't want to engage with you like that. There's some good resources on the ReachOut parents page which I've linked to here in case you find them helpful - it includes some ideas for ways to talk to your son about drug use (cannabis is the most current illegal drug used by Australian youth, although rates of its use are falling at the moment), and ideas for how to communicate non-judgementally, to try and keep those lines of communication open.
Is your son at school, or engaged in work/ other study at the moment?
It sounds like this is really taking a toll on you, which is understandable. It can be easy to let looking after ourselves fall by the wayside when our kids are having a tough time, but it's important to remember to take care of yourself.
Sometimes, parents find it helpful to find professional counselling for themselves - there is a free and confidential free and confidential 1:1 counselling service for parents available here , which may be helpful? You sound like a really caring and supportive parent, and that is also a really protective factor for your son as he navigates these tricky teenage years 
Hi @melinee ,
Thanks so much for the reply, I'm glad the information was helpful for you 
The traineeship sounds like a really positive thing for your son - hopefully it will be a great opportunity for him, and like you say, give him something positive to focus on (as well as keep him busy, which can be helpful!). Communicating over text can sometimes be a great way to broach those tricky topics with teens - it gives them a safe space to think about their responses, and can sometimes be less confrontational than speaking face to face about difficult topics. My daughter is a bit younger and has just got her first phone, and I'm actually already quite surprised by how she will sometimes open up about things over text that she doesn't necessarily want to talk about in person.
Reluctance to seek professional help is very common in teenagers - there are options like text-based services, that can be helpful for some kids who don't like to talk face to face. Or he may just not be ready to take that step yet- the fact that he's communicating with you is really positive though, and having that line of communication open with him is a really protective factor for him. Keep us posted on how you're going- I hope the traineeship goes well for him
Hi @Keddie, welcome to Reach Out and thanks for sharing your experience here. We really hope that you will find this thread and support from other parents helpful What you have shared sounds really insightful and beneficial for other parents who are going through this same thing. It helps to know that you are not alone.. but also hearing the ups and down of your journey is quite informative. Your family went through a lot, although it sounds like you have made a significant amount of progress. I was wondering if you (or your partner) sought your own personal support throughout this? It can be difficult for parents to navigate these situations and it can take a huge emotional toll. I was also wondering how your son is travelling at the moment? Is he still at home or has he entered another rehabilitation program?
Once again, we really want to thank you for sharing. Your support is invaluable If you feel comfortable, you could comment here (or 'start a topic') with some tips that you would give to other parents going through the same thing.
Hi @Keddie,
It is really great to hear that you have a number of supports around you. It sounds like your journey is still ongoing and we wish your family the best for your son's upcoming stay. We always welcome you to continue to share any updates
All of the threads on ReachOut are public. Another parent has made this thread titled 'Addicted to weed' which you have commented on. This will notify them and any other parents who have posted on the same thread. We have different thread areas and so users can find this thread by looking through the areas or typing in the search bar. Our homepage also shows the most recently 'active' threads as well.
We always welcome parents to make their own thread so that they can have a space to share their story. Threads can get crowded with lots of parents posting.. and sometimes it can result in a parent not receiving the support they came here for It can also be easier for others to find which is always helpful! We also appreciate parents sharing their experience on other parent's threads, as some parents may not look for other threads.
