Any armchair psychologists out there?
A very close family member has become worrying more reclusive since Covid and is very reluctant to engage with anyone at all. Her husband spends most of the time abroad and we as family are close by but she puts up resistance to any ideas of meeting up (we are all jabbed and boosted etc). We know she is becoming very isolated but she doesn't seem to care.
The other thing is how she chooses to live (reported back from a family member who did manage to pin her down for a visit). She lives mainly in the smallest room in the house which is the only one heated (says not economical to use the central heating); the house is dirty with old furniture and a barely working oven (nothing gets thrown away but she is reluctant to repair or replace items). She also shuns the internet. The thing is she is wealthy beyond belief, with considerable capital assets and income (the income is piling up in her bank accounts as we know she seldom spends it).
She seems content to lead the lifestyle of a really poor, hard-up person, and for the life of me I can't think why. There are lots of poor people out there at the moment, relying on foodbanks, handouts and having to choose between eating and heating - but why on earth would you embrace this existance when you are a multi-millionaire?
We have gently tried to talk to her about it but she's made it clear any such discussions are off-limits and has no interest in opening up. Absolutely her choice of course. But why? What makes someone like this? It's also very distressing and we are quite worried for her mental wellbeing.