My parents, who were previously well-adjusted and quite happy, have completely fallen apart during this lockdown. My mum has always struggled with anxiety. She's never had to fend for herself as my dad takes care of everything, so banking, shopping online etc are all a mystery to her. During lockdown my dad's had a number of health problems and suddenly the notion that he might not be around forever to take care of things has hit my mum like a ton of bricks. She has had a complete mental breakdown. She follows my dad around the house wherever he goes, even to the toilet, and if he isn't paying her his full attention she pinches and kicks him. She has major health anxiety, is convinced she has diabetes and refuses to eat even though she's had a negative test, and is convinced that my dad's current health issue, which the doctors say is an inner ear issue, is motor neurone disease, which she tells him repeated. She refuses to sit and constantly walks round and round the living room clapping.
The obvious thing is to seek help, but she refuses to do so, as she's convinced they'll put her away. By some miracle my dad and sister managed to get her to see a GP, but she put on a front so I'm not convinced the doctor got the full picture. She was prescribed Setraline which she's been taking for two weeks, but so far nothing has changed and I'm not convinced this is enough. But she's adamant that she doesn't want help, as if she gets better 'the problems will still be there'. She won't see a therapist or talk to anyone. My dad is in despair as he just doesn't know how to cope. My mum is a gibbering wreck and all day just repeats the same phrases, imploring my dad to help her but refusing all suggestions. I'm 100 miles away and my dad has COPD so they are shielding which makes visiting hard.
Is there any way out from this? Does anyone have experience of such a thing, and is there more we could/should be doing? Any suggestion of doctors or therapists sends my mum into a frenzy. At the moment we are clinging on to the hope that the Setraline will kick in but so far she's exactly the same, if not worse.