Hi, I have an ongoing situation with my Mother and her mental and physical health. It’s affecting my family and I don’t know what to do for the best. Sorry if it’s long but I want to give a full picture of everything.
DM is in her early sixties and has suffered from depression for as long as I can remember. Her mental health has gotten worse in the past few years as she lost her mother and her husband (my step father) suddenly and in quick succession. She has since been diagnosed with an under active thyroid after a long bought of vertigo, falling over, confusion and making rash decisions (I.e. going on holiday with someone she barely knew and as a result spent the whole time texting me how miserable she was as she didn’t like this person).
She has also recently admitted that she was diagnosed as bi polar a year ago but didn’t tell me. She seems to treat the thyroid as the reason for all her problems so she doesn’t need to address the bi polar.
She takes tablets for the above conditions but I don’t think she is taking them correctly as they don’t seem to be working and the past 6 weeks have been very difficult. She refuses all counselling and doesn’t exercise or have any hobbies. She expects my brother, Sister and I to provide all of her care and emotional support (multiple phone calls and texts ranting about random things) and goes from one to the other if she doesn’t get the response she wants. When she’s like this she resents the fact we work and have interests outside of her. I live in the next town and visit her at least one a week and call her every day but I feel that whatever I do it isn’t good enough.
I love her dearly and when things are going well she is a wonderful and caring mother. But her mental health problems can make her incredibly selfish and not a nice person to be around, bitter and petty which is not her.
She has a general doctors appointment next week that I am going to go to but I don’t know what sort of help is available in this situation. All advice gratefully received. Thank you