Q: My son is a first year computer-engineering student, staying in a hostel. His grades have become very poor, so much so that he has not passed a single paper in the first semester. In the 12th standard I had taken him to a psychologist and she had diagnosed him as having empathy and prescribed Cipralex for 2 months. This was last year. What can we do for our son now? He seems to live in a constant state of only having fun, assumes no responsibility whatsoever, be it academics, household chores, his own food or health. It is all the more saddening because I have always seen him excel at whatever he puts his mind, body, soul into, but he gives up easily and loses interest and somehow always makes only underachievers his friends He smirks at nerds. We have been very lenient parents and somewhere along the way, all focus seems to have been lost. Please help me save my son from himself? In all other ways, he is very intelligent, loving, and sensitive and has a great sense of humour.

A:I am sorry to hear how difficult things are with your son. It definitely appears as though he is going through some clinical condition, which is impacting his behaviour. The mix of symptoms you are describing indicate that there is a need for a psychiatric evaluation. Let the doctor make an assessment and diagnose the condition. Once that is done, medication may be prescribed. Another thing that will help your son is to seek counselling. Through this process he may be able to identify his thoughts, feelings and behaviours and plan for his life better. You may also benefit by talking to a psychologist who may be able to help you with tips of how to handle this situation. Do not delay things and seek help from a psychiatrist soon. Take care.