At 13 my big grandios thought was "I'm going to be the youngest published author of sci-fi/fantasy genre and win the Hugo." I fully expected to have at least one book published at 14. My first novel that I wrote, entitled "The Crystal Rose," was 350 pages long. I typed it up on my old word processor, back when home PCs were just starting to be a thing for richer kids.

My grandios thoughts didn't seem grandios at the time. It seemed like normal kid ambition. (I do still wish I could win a Hugo someday.)

But, at the same time, my first suicide attempt was at 12, and I had been depressed for a long time. I was getting terrible grades in school. Not only was I not studying or paying attention in class but also being out sick all the time, although it was mental sickness rather than physical, but since mental health wasn't as focused on I just played sick a lot. You can actually track my mental health state through school by my grades. It's pretty clear when I was doing bad and when things got better.

I can give yout his hope: at 11 I was seeing a child psychologist for a short time (for being sick all the time with nothing wrong.) At 12 suicidal. At 13 my mom died and I saw some grief councelors, and 14 I was floundering around and just trying to find my footing. At 15 I was doing better although not that much. At 16 and 17 I became active in the church youth group to "learn to socialize" and I'm not kidding about that, it was my whole reason. At 18 I thought I had cured myself of depression and it was sometime around here that I became all powerful. But my 4 years of community college I did really well with a light load of classes until I dropped out for no reason. And then when I went back to vocational school at 26 I ended up graduating with honors and now hold a job full time, have 3 kids, and a husband. Despite all these obsticals in my head, being diagnosed with bipolar at 29 years old, and then having spotty and inconsistent treatment all this time.. I am resilient, and I bet your son is too. Plus, he has you who has his back and I had no one, so if I can do this he can do great things.