Newbies' corner
Overwhelmed with responsibility, no idea who to turn to
Fifinely · 14/04/2021 23:29
I'll keep this brief and answer any clarifying questions through DM if needed.
Just moved to the UK and struggling to adult due to the lockdown, isolation and not being able to get the answers and support I need online.
I'm caring for elderly sick parents while also a single mum in my 40s, so I'm extra low in energy for all this. I'm drowning under the weight of responsibility from my family - the "helpless victims" demanding my life force from me, and I'm receiving endless mental and verbal abuse from all sides.
Where/how to furnish a small/oddly spaced home with storage and other necessary furnitures? We're sleeping on parents sofa atm and I know having a proper space and organisation for all the clutter would make a world of difference but I'm finding online shopping an absolute minefield and everything on Amazon some kind of overpriced rip-off con?
I desperately need a reliable cleaner (one that actually cleans the bathrooms and corners of the floors and won't charge £15 an hour to drag a broom through the middle of the mess and otherwise just reorganise our belongings and call it tidying). Are there online companies for this? Are they even allowed during the current restrictions?
Any leads on where to find mental health support? It seems almost non existent in the UK but I really need someone professional to speak to before I spiral into serious depression, and I need to keep it together for my DS. I have no friends in UK and friends from abroad are sympathetic but ultimately have zero understanding of the extremes of what I'm going through.
Thank you I hope you can advise..
Rainallnight · 14/04/2021 23:38
Wow, you have so much going on. I’m so sorry.
On storage and furniture - you need IKEA. They deliver.
For a cleaner - join some local Facebook groups and ask for recommendations. They’re allowed at the moment.
For mental health support - your first port of call should be your GP. Are you registered with one yet? And remember you can ring the Samaritans in a crisis.
I hope someone more knowledgeable than me can give you some advice on getting support for your elderly parents. That should not all be on you.
Fifinely · 14/04/2021 23:54
@Rainallnight thank you for your response. That is good advice I didn't know about the samaritans.
The only issue is I'm very scared to go to a GP or similar government linked because I hear they don't support you physically or mentally here, they apparently just assign you a social worker and treat it like your child needs protection from you personally. I've heard some terrifying stories of perfectly responsible parents being reported to social services by nurses/doctors at the hospital because their child cracked an ankle or something while playing.
Is this true? Am I being paranoid?
Rainallnight · 15/04/2021 00:17
I really wouldn’t worry about that. I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety on and off for years and there’s never been any suggestion of calling social services. My GP has only ever wanted to help me.
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