I have heard mixed reviews about NAMI but I am happy that you are getting something positive out of it.
My Difficult Stepson sounds very much like your son. Hyper-judgmental, even of himself, but lazy as ever and unwilling to take any suggestions offered to him. He knows everything, except that he knows nothing. LBL my DS is very arrogant and reactive as well. Some of it is male adolescent bravado but some of it is about his mental illness. He got a bad hand from the genetic deck of cards and his environment multiplied the damage tenfold. PM I totally understand well-meaning (or even not so well meaning) strangers offering advice that would probably be effective for most teens, but not for a very strong and violent kid with mental illness besides. The truth is nobody understands unless they have gone through it themselves. And even then every situation is different.
Here's to all of us doing our best one day at a time.
