Reply to Has anyone suggested their parent go on an antidepressant?

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Reply to "Has anyone suggested their parent go on an antidepressant?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My mom suffered a lot of family deaths when I was young.  About as long as I've known her she's shown classic symptoms of depression.

Has anyone approached this subject with a parent.  I feel like it's dicey but I really think it could help her.  Thoughts.[/quote]

Wouldn't it be up to her physician to determine whether she needs an antidepressant?  [/quote]

This is a a naiive response given that most physicians see their patients for like 20 minutes maybe once a year at most. Unless depression symptoms are glaring, or unless OP's mom levels with her doctor and specifically asks about medication, it's a crap shoot whether the physician will write a prescription or make a psychiatrist referral. OP, if you feel able to suggest meds to your mom I think it's worth a try. Just be prepared that she might be resistant. You can also suggest talking to a therapist. Sometimes people are more open to therapy than meds, and a therapist could help both by giving her someone to talk to , and also sometimes therapists will suggest adding medication as part of overall treatment.[/quote]

But it's not always a losing proposition to have the mom see her own doctor. The OP can alert the doctor before the visit to the mom's signs of depression. Depending greatly on whether mom and doctor are both OK with the adult child being present at an exam, the OP could even bring it up in front of the doctor with mom there (preferably after discussing it with mom, so it's not a surprise to her).

Some parents are not going to deal well at all with the adult child saying "Have you considered meds" because some in the older generation are averse to the idea of psychiatric medications (basing that statement on my own elderly mom and many of her friends whom I know well). And many older people won't take any medical advice from their own kids but might listen more to an authority figure like a professional third party whom they already know. Then there's the trust issue: Saying, "Mom, I'd like to suggest you see a therapist and I've made you an appointment with Dr. X (whom you've never seen before) to talk about possible depression" could scare mom off, whereas if her own regular doctor says, "I want you to see Dr. X" she might listen.

A great deal depends on OP's relationship with mom, mom's own experiences with and opinions about doctors and mental health, and mom's own doctor who may or may not be good at seeing signs of depression in the elderly. OP, think about how your mom might react, but please do something. Go with your instinct here and talk with your mom first. Maybe she'll be receptive right away to either therapy or meds or both, but don't be surprised if she resists, or feels that "It's just my personality, I've always been this way" etc. Consider the type of person she is -- would she be receptive if you, for instance, show her studies and articles, or is she the type to open up better if a peer her own age brings this up, etc.? [/quote]

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