Reply to Emotional support

Forum Index » Eldercare

Reply to "Emotional support"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If you don’t have a (functioning) adult partner (spouse or long term relationship) and your parents are in decline, how does this make you feel? Does it make you feel lonely? I thought that I got over the profound loneliness of having a spouse who has basically checked out of life and maybe suffering from intellectual decline as well as my remaining, beloved parent, descending with dementia. I try to ensure that I don’t rely on my teenage DC, who I sometimes think is the only sane person in this family. It wouldn’t be fair to them. How to you cope if you’re in this situation?[/quote]

^ to clarify, I have to talk to my beloved mom as if she were a preschooler. Anything beyond that goes over her head. The smallest thing, she takes so personally and starts crying. My DH is no support - helices his life as if he were another child I have to take care of. No financial or emotional contributions to the family. I feel like screaming.[/quote]

Hi OP,
I am so very sorry about your mom. That sounds very, very hard and lonely. A few suggestions. I’d start living your life like you are single, in terms of emotional support. It sounds like your husband has dropped the rope, so I would suggest that you do the same. He may not be able to support you but he shouldn’t stand in the way of you finding support where you have it. Do you have neighbors that you like? A hobby that you enjoy? A group of fellow joggers? Friends from college that have moved back to DC and you haven’t been able to reconnect with? Can you volunteer at the food distribution center? Attend a free music performance in your neighborhood? Just a little bit of human connection will really help. Then, I’d suggest a child support group through the Alzheimers Association. And, when you have the emotional space, maybe talk to a therapist about whether being lonely in your marriage is really worse than being alone. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics