Mom is depressed

[KLCK]

So my mom broke her leg a month ago and now she is saying she is depressed. She feels bored and lonely she says. I try to spend as much time as I can around her but I am just starting my college career and this is a critical time in my life. My dad COULD retire but won't, he says he is making too much money.

Her leg is healing slowly but it will be at least 3 months before she can start cruising around with crutches. For now she is stuck in a wheelchair/walker.

What can I do to make her feel better? I am going to start reading to her after school. Thats my first plan of action, she seems to feel better when talked too.

Advice? Have any of you been in her situation? My situation?

 

[jomar]

Give her a copy of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy.

Encourage her to try and structure her day some, getting some things accomplished that she can do in her condition.

Reading to her is good. Maybe read to each other.

Since she has a walker, get her out of the house a few times a week, if you can. For ice cream or something.

Omega 3 fish oils have been shown to help with depression. Google the right amount. If warranted, maybe her doctor can prescribe an antidepressant.

Good luck.

 

[epiphany65]

So my mom broke her leg a month ago and now she is saying she is depressed. She feels bored and lonely she says. I try to spend as much time as I can around her but I am just starting my college career and this is a critical time in my life. My dad COULD retire but won't, he says he is making too much money.

Her leg is healing slowly but it will be at least 3 months before she can start cruising around with crutches. For now she is stuck in a wheelchair/walker.

What can I do to make her feel better? I am going to start reading to her after school. Thats my first plan of action, she seems to feel better when talked too.

Advice? Have any of you been in her situation? My situation?

Does she belong to a church or other community organization? You could put the word out to members that a visit would be nice. Some organizations have committies to visit shut-ins. Also, mention this to other family members. Even if they don't live nearby, a phonecall would be nice.

Does she have favourite movies, TV shows or authors? DVDs to pass the time (you can rent them or borrow them from a library) would help. Books on CD/tape are good too. Try to get her interested in crossword/jigsaw puzzles. They are fun for some and kill time. You could get her started by visiting and working on some with her to get her started.

Good luck. I hope she's up & about soon and feeling better!

 

[fifty5]

So my mom broke her leg a month ago and now she is saying she is depressed. She feels bored and lonely she says. I try to spend as much time as I can around her but I am just starting my college career and this is a critical time in my life. My dad COULD retire but won't, he says he is making too much money.

Her leg is healing slowly but it will be at least 3 months before she can start cruising around with crutches. For now she is stuck in a wheelchair/walker.

What can I do to make her feel better? I am going to start reading to her after school. Thats my first plan of action, she seems to feel better when talked too.

Advice? Have any of you been in her situation? My situation?

First point out that this isn't clinical but real. Feeling down about 3 months in a chair isn't silly.

Next, try the 'count your blessings' strategy - but for Pete's sake don't use those words. At last she has time for herself: to read; surf the net; even (whisper it here) write. And she doesn't need to feel guilty about not doing housework!

It seems that, judging from your Dad's input, cash isn't a big problem, so the virtual and intellectual worlds are her oysters. Tell her to go for it and make the most of the opportunity! Tell Dad to buy her her own lap-top.Your best input might well be to train her how to use it and show her what opportunities there are.

Maybe Lit might gain a new author...

PS This is intended to be positive, not taking the piss or diminishing her problems, but just hoping to point out the 'silver lining'.

 

[KLCK]

Give her a copy of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy.

Encourage her to try and structure her day some, getting some things accomplished that she can do in her condition.

Reading to her is good. Maybe read to each other.

Since she has a walker, get her out of the house a few times a week, if you can. For ice cream or something.

Omega 3 fish oils have been shown to help with depression. Google the right amount. If warranted, maybe her doctor can prescribe an antidepressant.

Good luck.

Ok, I will look into that book. I like reading to her, lets me practice my speaking skills.

Well she can only use the walker to get to the bathroom. She is mostly wheelchair bound at this point but I suspect that in about a month she will be doing a lot better. Her leg still hurts (it was a nasty break) so she can't move all that much.

OK, I will do that. My brother is an expert on that sort of thing (takes a lot of vitamins/is fitness obsessed). Right now she only takes calcium and pain pills. Anti depressants will only come to my mind if she gets really bad. After class today she just came out to me really sad and said she was depressed and lonely. If she keeps insisting that she is really sad then I will talk to her about it.

Does she belong to a church or other community organization? You could put the word out to members that a visit would be nice. Some organizations have committies to visit shut-ins. Also, mention this to other family members. Even if they don't live nearby, a phonecall would be nice.

Does she have favourite movies, TV shows or authors? DVDs to pass the time (you can rent them or borrow them from a library) would help. Books on CD/tape are good too. Try to get her interested in crossword/jigsaw puzzles. They are fun for some and kill time. You could get her started by visiting and working on some with her to get her started.

Good luck. I hope she's up & about soon and feeling better!

Nope, no church. Were not religious but we have a lot of friends in the neighborhood and my cousin helps around the house when I am gone. We take care of our neighbors so maybe I will start asking if some of them want to come around and visit.

Got netflix the other day...though maybe "the bucket list" isn't a good choice of movie? *eep* Well she can watch one of those movies while I am gone to kill time till I get home.

First point out that this isn't clinical but real. Feeling down about 3 months in a chair isn't silly.

Next, try the 'count your blessings' strategy - but for Pete's sake don't use those words. At last she has time for herself: to read; surf the net; even (whisper it here) write. And she doesn't need to feel guilty about not doing housework!

It seems that, judging from your Dad's input, cash isn't a big problem, so the virtual and intellectual worlds are her oysters. Tell her to go for it and make the most of the opportunity! Tell Dad to buy her her own lap-top.Your best input might well be to train her how to use it and show her what opportunities there are.

Maybe Lit might gain a new author...

PS This is intended to be positive, not taking the piss or diminishing her problems, but just hoping to point out the 'silver lining'.

What angers me is my dad is insensitive about it. He gets stressed out and yells at me, then my mom cries about how its all her fault. My dad just needs to grow up.

I plan on buying a Internet cable and running the laptop to her room, then I shall show her "stumble upon" which is a MEGA time killer.



Thanks for the advice.