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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

My mother, what do I do?

23 replies

mpuddleduck · 30/04/2011 11:00

Not really sure where to start. My mother is driving me mad.
She hasn't coped since Dad died 15 years ago.
To start with she wouldn't leave the house, she refuses antidepressants, and has been addicted to steroids for so called breathing problems.
I do belive she has some medical problems, the dr said she has mild breathing problems, but she has now made herself wheelchair bound and won't do anything for herself.
She is constantly moaning and self pitying, saying we don't care and she is lonely and has no one to help her or do things for her.
(I do online shopping for her and organised a cleaner, she has carers in every day and a hairdresser and gardener)
I live a long distance from her and she desperately wants us to move to a house with her. When I split from xdh 3 years ago I did briefly consider this, but her gp didn't think we should move her in with us.
I really don't want to move at the moment (we live a long way from her)..
I do feel guilty , but she won;t and hasn't done anything to help herself ever.
Last night she was on the phone wanting me to take her on holiday, quoting how she and my dad gave up so much so we could have holidays when we were little.
My brother is at his wits end too, and we really don't know what to do. Iam sure she wouldn't be any happier or live her life if we moved to be with her. help.

OP posts:
cruelladepoppins · 30/04/2011 12:59

Tricky one. She sounds really lonely - carers are not the same as your family. But it isn't reasonable to expect your grown-up children to be at your disposal in person.

I had a granny who went to stay with her children in rotation - moving every 2 weeks. Went on for years. They were all exhausted.

Have you or your bro considered a house with a granny flat where one of you lives? [that your dm could pay for?] Or even a small flat nearby? Would give you a bit of space but she would see you every day. And still she would have her carers etc. And the other sibling could take her for a break, away for a week at half-term or whatever? Just a thought and it might not float your boat, but you are clearly not happy with the status quo.

dizietsma · 30/04/2011 13:06

I think you're confused about the steroids. Steroids for breathing problems are not the sort of thing you get "addicted" to, it's not like with athletes. She wont get any sort of "high" from them.

Having things arranged for her is great, but like cruella said, it's not the same as having family around. Have you looked into her attending a day centre for older people, that sort of thing? She needs community and friends if family can't be there for her.

Pinkflipflop · 30/04/2011 13:12

Poor you, you are torn between wanting to do the best for your mum and having your own life. I feel very sorry for your mum but I do think she is being very demanding.

As the other poster said, could she move closer to you and then it wouldn't be so disruptive for your life job etc?

Do you have children to consider?

atswimtwolengths · 30/04/2011 13:22

It won't make a difference if she's nearby; she wants to be in exactly the same place as you and she wants you to move!

She does sound lonely. Would she consider residential accommodation with a warden? Everyone's in the same boat then and there's the opportunity to make new friends and have some support when necessary.

ohgawdherewegoagain · 30/04/2011 13:32

OP, be cautious about even considering moving in with her or vice versa. My mum lives with me and life can, at times, be extremely difficult. I've no personal space at all and when I'm at home, I'm in her company. All a bit full on.

FabbyChic · 30/04/2011 14:04

Would she be better off in residential care so that she has company?

mpuddleduck · 01/05/2011 10:09

I have tried showing her around warden controlled accommodation, but she refuses to even think about it. She won't even try making friends, joining a group or anything else where she might make friends (even before she became housebound).
I didn't explain the steroids thing very well, she thinks she needs them and causes an awful fuss when the gp tries to stop them, she now bruises and marks very easily and has osteoporosis.
I do have children which does make things even harder, they love where we live.
I agree that moving closer wouldn't help, she wants me to care for her and be her company, I feel so torn.

OP posts:
Adversecamber · 01/05/2011 11:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SugarPasteFrog · 01/05/2011 22:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mpuddleduck · 02/05/2011 09:06

Thank you, you have put in writing how I feel about it although I still feel guilty for thinking this way. At the end of the day she is my mum, but she has done the same as Sugarpastefrog's friends mum and allowed /made herself to become dependent in the hope of achieving her goal.
I actually didn't phone her yesterday, I just couldn't cope with more emotional guilt.

OP posts:
ShoutyHamster · 02/05/2011 10:21

I think Sugar's advice is spot on.

What stood out for me was your last sentence, 'I am sure she wouldn't be any happier or live her life if we moved to be with her' - no, she wouldn't. She could be a lot happier right now, by trying to socialise, take the doctor's advice - but she doesn't want to. She is a wallower and she'd be exactly the same if you lived together and gave up everything for her - it's who she is. Or who old age has made her become.

Your mum sounds exactly like my gran - my mum (and all of us) have had years of this. She lives locally to them, so caring isn't a problem fortunately. But on an emotional level, she is horrendous. Her (minor, given her age) health problems are a constant refrain. She literally cannot talk about anything else. Like yours, she is lonely, but has few friends, largely because she has become increasingly negative about every single thing in life. The irony is that she was a vivacious, enjoy-life type of person - but unfortunately ultimately one who has changed dramatically on getting older. She is a martyr to herself. She sucks the life out of you. I love her, but phonecalls take a bit of gearing up to, shall we say.

The thing that makes my gran so wearing and drives people away is that nothing is ever enough. Any and every topic of conversation becomes a complaint about how badly it affected HER, or a bitch about how much easier that other person has it - not like her 'not that I complain, you know that, I never complain'. Any suggestion for fun, activities, etc. is met with how she can't do x because of her health. She is a black hole of negativity.

It takes a while I think to realise that with people like this, they are actively CHOOSING to be the way they are. It's harder with the old as we can see that yes, they do have so many difficulties to contend with - loneliness, frailty - so to be angry or to criticise them feels heartless. But you have to judge her as a person as well as a helpless 'little old lady'. What is she actually doing? Manipulating you. Refusing to take medical advice, making herself as you say deliberately dependant - all to get what she wants, which involves your entire family uprooting your lives to make hers better.

Don't ever have her to live with you. It won't change her, but it will make all YOUR lives much harder and you would resent her horribly...as would your children.

It's a terrible bind to be in, but from what I've seen in my own family, I can tell you that the guilt should NOT be on your side - I hope this helps. It's only in recent years that my mum has begun to disengage more, as she has seen that as SHE gets older, and has more health issues, her mum's response has been shocking - no concern for her daughter...it just continues to be all about her. It's really opened her eyes to the extent of her (unconscious, undeliberate) selfishness. It's very sad.

You could try pointing your mother's attitude out to her. Next time she suggests a move - 'What would be the point Mum? There are lots of things you could be doing now to make life better and you won't, so why would it be different if we were there? When you won't even listen to the doctor, it seems you're determined to make life harder for yourself - I don't think I can help with that.'

On a practical level, any suggestion that you move should be met with incredulousness. What, uproot the entire family, jobs, schools, everything? If anyone moves it should be her - closer. Not into your house, which is late nights, childrens' friends, noise. Sheltered accommodation a couple of miles away perhaps? As she gets older, it might prove easier to have her within distance. This ONLY works if from the very start you have an extremely busy schedule and set times to spend with her. What does your brother say, is he local to you?

I don't envy you!

SugarPasteFrog · 02/05/2011 11:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DutchOma · 02/05/2011 12:56

I certainly agree with everybody who has said not to move in together or even nearby, either for your mother or for you, but if she is asking you to take her on holiday would it alleviate your "guilt" (for which there is not reason, you do what you can and your mother is not helping herself) if you took her away for a few days? She won't like it, she will not like anything, since she is a bottomless pit person, but at least you will have done as much as you can cope with.
We are a bit in the same situation, we are the older people and it is very nice if children do things for us, although I would never expect it from them. But we were so pleased when our son and dil took us away for a long weekend because we could not have done it ourselves in a month of Sundays.

theoldtrout01876 · 05/05/2011 02:24

The steroid thing is right,Im having same issue with my mother.Shes been on steroids for autoimmune and breathing issues for 12 years.she went slowly loopy,really really depressed and soooo nasty and would do nothing for herself ( literally lay in her own waste and demanded my SIL/DB clean her up),was one of life's MAJOR victims,drove my brothers and myself to distraction ( I too live many miles away). She was eventually hospitalized/committed.

We were told it was the steroids that had done this to her and she needed to come off them PDQ. They kept her for 6 weeks, to cut them down with supervision, and it was rough,rough on her as she felt she couldnt breath and the depression got 10 times worse and the autoimmune symptoms went haywire and rough on us,especially my DB as he lives close to her and ended up dealing with doctors etc on her behalf, as we didnt know how to deal with what was happening.

Shes been out for 3 weeks now and is really a lot better,not physically as her body has been dependent on steroids so long its rubbish without them, but mentally shes vastly improved,aware of how shes been and whats going on and trying to sort them and deal with herself physically( if that makes sense )

Still not out of the woods yet but at least the pathetic victim part has gone. Those steroids,long term, are nasty,mess you up mentally. I reckon your mum needs to come off/cut down ( but only under strict medical supervision) the steroids. It will help her help herself.

Good luck,its been a long 3 years for us to get to this point as my mum refused to believe they were/she had an issue and was convinced they were the only things keeping her alive

SpringchickenGoldBrass · 05/05/2011 02:34

SO you've had 15 years of her being a whinyarse and refusing any kind of help that doesn't involve you running around after her 24/7? Was she this much of a PITA when you were growing up?
If she was previously a lovely mum and a nice person, it's going to be harder, but there is lots of good advice upthread. If she's always been like this, it really deosn't make you a terrible person to draw back, check she has enough professional help in place and go on with your own life.

spiderslegs · 05/05/2011 02:43

If it's not one thing, it's your mother

single2mingle · 05/05/2011 04:33

reading through all the self pity, she is your mum. she is lonely. you can provide all the paid help in the world but it wont make a difference. your mum wants you around. I know if it was my mum that was alone it wouldn't have taken 15 years of her evocative hints of "I want my kids round me" to move her in/move closer etc. I would have done it. She is your mum and one day in the future when she is gone you will regret not spending as much time with her as possible.

but as previous posters have said if you never had a good relationship with your mum in the past and she has always demanded your attention (which i am guessing is a no because you wouldn't be posting about it, you would probably be used to it by now) then she needs to help herself.

think how she feels husband has gone, kids get someone else in to deal with her cos they don't have time (not saying this is fact, merely this is how she probably feels) , all topped with depression (by the sounds of it) its not a nice place to be.

i'd consider moving her closer or vice versa. but that is a personal opinion based on how i'd react if it was my own mum.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 05/05/2011 07:35

I am also wondering if your Mum was as difficult when you were growing up as well.

This "she is your mother" comment gets my goat sometimes. You would not tolerate such emotionally charged blackmail and general misery from a friend, why should family be any different?. Some mothers can be truly awful and use emotional blackmail on their offspring as is happening here. Not all parents by any means act kindly or with any grace towards their own adult children.

OPs mother does need to help her own self and OPs mother has made her own choices not to help her own self for whatever reasons (likely deeply seated ones). It is NOT your fault OP that your mother is this way, you did not make her like this (her own parents were likely responsible in that regard).

It will not solve anything for OP to move nearer to her frankly awful sounding mother.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 05/05/2011 07:38

Hi Mpuddleduck,

re your comment:-
"Her gp didn't think we should move her in with us"

Why do you think he said that?.

Am glad you took heed at the time, I would not move any nearer to her now as it would be a huge error on your part.

Anniegetyourgun · 05/05/2011 08:26

If she were a nice, thoughtful mother who wanted to see more of her children she'd discuss moving nearer to them, not insist they uproot their and their own children's lives to move closer to her. It's much easier to move one, retired, person than to move a clutch of people with jobs and schools.

Plus her husband hasn't only just died, he's been gone for 15 years. Fair enough to still miss him, but she must be a little bit used to doing without him by now. That sounds awfully callous, I know. I don't mean she should just get over it, some people are more resilient than others, but after that long it begins to sound like either she isn't interested in coping (which is what most of us suspect) or she needs more psychological support than mere untrained family can provide.

I hesitate to comment more robustly because my MIL was terribly down after her husband and mother both died and she had to move house. She had some basic social care, but her other DIL and I used to go round there daily and she needed help with everything. Social services said we should back off a little and let her stand on her own two feet. Then it turned out she had major health problems which no-one had suspected, and died in hospital a few months later. So you always have to be a bit careful... Still, she was a lovely lady who would have moved to the ends of the earth for us, and would never have chosen to be a burden. Had she been in the OP's mother's situation we would have been talking about helping her move nearer us so we could keep an eye on her. Us moving just wouldn't have been practical as we both had young families.

ENormaSnob · 05/05/2011 09:36

No way would I move closer.

You can't help someone who won't help themselves.

ageingdisgracefully · 05/05/2011 10:03

What a predicament, mpuddle! It sounds to me as if your mum is determined to get you at your beck and call and will refuse to help herself until she gets her own way. It sounds as though she's getting enough practical help already, and she's being unreasonable in her demands on you. She doesn't seem to want to help herself, so what ever you do is probably unlikely to be enough. I think the help of a professional would help you - perhaps a psychiatrist, or a specialist from Social Services, even if it's just to reassure you.

I have a relative just like this (I'm the next of kin now) who has mental health problems and refuses to help himself. I've tried everything, but I know I'm banging my head against a wall and support him wherever necessary, but I no longer feel guilty. Good luck.

bibbitybobbityhat · 05/05/2011 10:11

Just wanted to offer sympathy op. I admire your kindness and patience with her so far. Some people are just simply very unlovable, whether they are our parents or not!

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