I'm going to lose my mind!! (long)

[ilikefree]

I'm (we're) so frustrated, I don't know where to turn. My mom has been having problems for several years (since my dad was diagnosed with oral cancer--he survived and is doing well, by the way). She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with anxiety and was given medication. She took it for a while then stopped because she said it made her head feel "funny." Since then she's gone to several more doctors, "knowing" that it wasn't anxiety, begged my sister and I to have our kids tested for gonorrhea and syphyllis because she KNOWS she gave it to them by coughing on them. My 2 boys are tall and skinny and she thinks that's why. My youngest sister lost quite a bit of weight (she was overweight to begin with) and Mom said it is because of something that she gave to my sister (my sister and her husband live with my mom and dad for now). She doesn't trust any doctor anymore because she says her first doctor got the word out to every other doctor that it is just anxiety so no one else will test her. She's had an MRI and several other tests and all came back okay. She's convinced that she needs an IV antibiotic, but no one will give her one. Now she wants tested for menengitis, but the doctor won't do it. We (my 2 sisters and I) asked her why she even thought she had that. She said she had a cyst that burst quite a while ago and since it was never treated she has infection coursing through her body that is slowly killing her. She called me the other day and wanted to know if I'd look online for malpractice attorneys in our area. One of my sisters and I told her that if she didn't trust what the doctors were telling her, she sure wouldn't trust any lawyer. She called me just a little while ago and wanted to know if I'd go see an attorney with her. I get so tired of hearing this, especially when she keeps harping on the fact that that's why my kids are so tall and skinny. Ummm, my husband is tall and DH and I were both very skinny as kids. But you can't tell her that. I got so fed up with hearing it yet again that I hung up on her when she started in again. This is just a condensed version of what's been going on for the past 4 or so years. I don't know what to do. I feel bad dismissing her, but know that doctors won't do anything. They've gone through so much money on all the doctors she's seen and all the testing they've done (she even had a hysterectomy because of all this). It's just driving me crazy. I feel sorry for my dad having to live with her and hearing it all the time. He's very quiet and never says anything to us about it.

[Army-Mom]

my prayers are with you family, it does sound like a very bad case of anxiety.

[pepperpot]

:hug wish I could offer more....:hug

[buglebe]

You need to get your mom to a psychiatrist. She needs mental health. We went through something similar to this with my mom. It doesn't get better by itself. It will just continue to get worse. Your mom can't help having these thoughts. Try to get her help. That will be extremely difficult.

[gmyers]

It does sound like shes having mental problems being obsessed isn't normal. She needs to see someone. It sounds like shes really delusional. Its not normal for her to think she gave your sons sexually transmitted diseases by coughing on them.

[ilikefree]

You need to get your mom to a psychiatrist. She needs mental health. We went through something similar to this with my mom. It doesn't get better by itself. It will just continue to get worse. Your mom can't help having these thoughts. Try to get her help. That will be extremely difficult.

She's been to one psychiatrist and all she wanted to do was push pills on her. My sister and I told her she needed to find someone who was willing to talk and listen and if there is indeed something wrong, he or she would get her the help she needed. But she didn't like the one she did go to so she refuses to see anyone else.

[fleabones3]

I am sorry you are going thru this.. it has to be very difficult

[iluvmybaby]

You need to get your mom to a psychiatrist. She needs mental health. We went through something similar to this with my mom. It doesn't get better by itself. It will just continue to get worse. Your mom can't help having these thoughts. Try to get her help. That will be extremely difficult.

Get help for your mom before she hurts herself or takes you guys with her

[tunisia]

she is having delusions and paranoia. she does need to see a psychiatrist. There is medication that can treat the delusions and paranoia she is experiencing so she can get back to a normal life.

*if she does become a threat to herself or others, you can probably get her admitted to the hospital as an 'involuntary' admission and held for 72 hrs but that is usually only if their illness poses a threat of some sort. I do hope it does not come to that.

a shame that she had a psychiatrist that just wanted to push drugs. I know there is so much hesitancy with psych drugs but yet we think nothing of taking drugs from any other doc. sometimes a couple of drugs are necessary to get us back on track.

[dv8grl]

She needs to see a PSYCHOLOGIST - not a PSYCHIATRIST!
BIG DIFFERENCE!
A Psychiatrist just wants to give you drugs, which half the time the side effects make you crazier.
A Psychologist is more like therapist.

[buglebe]

Sometimes the drugs are neccessary to get the person calmed down enough to even listen to a psychologist. I hope you can get her to a doctor. I had to trick my mom to get her to a doctor and dang it, when we got there, a police car was parked across the street from the office and she was convinced they were there "to get her because Daddy had sent the police for her". It is sad what the mind can do to people sometimes.
And when people are mentally ill, especially before they have seen a doctor, it can almost make the rest of the family sick too, with worry and exaperation. I do hope you can get help for her because it will help everyone. Imagine how miserable she is to be thinking these thoughts. My mom was so scared you could see the fear in her face. It was one of the worst periods in my life, before we got her help. There are a lot of us who know what you are going through. At least mental illness doesn't have the stigma it used to have. Good luck.

[uholt]

I'm so sorry that you and your family is going through this. Has your mom seen a neurologist?
My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

[WtPlover]

Poor you I am sorry for you my mother did this right before she passed away she was scared of everything I am sorry for you and your family and you are in my thoughts and prayers

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii188/Poohlover92499/winnie20and20friends.gif

[ilikefree]

Sometimes the drugs are neccessary to get the person calmed down enough to even listen to a psychologist. I hope you can get her to a doctor. I had to trick my mom to get her to a doctor and dang it, when we got there, a police car was parked across the street from the office and she was convinced they were there "to get her because Daddy had sent the police for her". It is sad what the mind can do to people sometimes.
And when people are mentally ill, especially before they have seen a doctor, it can almost make the rest of the family sick too, with worry and exaperation. I do hope you can get help for her because it will help everyone. Imagine how miserable she is to be thinking these thoughts. My mom was so scared you could see the fear in her face. It was one of the worst periods in my life, before we got her help. There are a lot of us who know what you are going through. At least mental illness doesn't have the stigma it used to have. Good luck.

Your poor mom, thinking the police were there for her! How awful!

Yes, I know she needs to take the meds her doctor gave her, but she won't take them anymore. She says she can't take any pills, even aspirin makes her whole body feel inflamed. I just don't know what to do. I haven't spoken to her since I hung up on her last week, which is unusual for us to go that long without calling or seeing each other.

Thanks for all the well-wishes. I'll do some checking on finding a psychologist for her to talk to.

[DonnaWV]

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I know how hard it can be to have parents who are sick.

[kabcrisp]

Could it be early onset Dementia/Alzheimer's???