My mum is 84, widowed 5 years ago. She has been doing really well, coped much better than expected living alone. Pretty mobile, fairly active - goes shopping, goes to an exercise class once a week, visits nearby relatives etc.
In recent months though she is getting increasingly anxious, worries about every little thing even though my sister and I do all her admin and see her once/twice a week.
She did speak to her GP a few months ago and he put her on Xanax but she found it made her really really sleepy and so just stopped taking it after about a week. She hasn't been back to the GP.
I love her to bits and feel terribly guilty about feeling impatient about listening to her going on and on and on about every tiny thing. My sister takes it very hard, always trying to 'help', 'fix' every situation but it's never enough because the root problem, the anxiety, is still there. I confess that I just don't pour myself into the situation to the extent that sis does. I am sympathetic, I try to help but if mum won't go back to the GP then what we can do is limited and I'm tired of worrying about her.
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to help mum while also helping me and sis not become too bogged down in the situation? My sister is on anxiety meds herself and to be honest I've been thinking of going down this route myself but I don't want to as I don't feel that, generally speaking, I'm anxious. I just dread phoning mum or any conversations with sis about mum. Again, she's been a good mum, a lovely person and I really love her very much and want her to feel better.