My mother lives alone. She does not get well with her two daughters-in-law. Most of the times I feel her behaviour and impressions of them is unreasonable. This has resulted in stressed relations between her and us sons. She finds reasons to complain about the daughters-in-law whenever she speaks to us on the phone. I think she is unreasonably consumed by rage for some reason and this might be impacting her mental health. When I try to explain something she thinks I am biased. I guess it might help if she talks to an independent person, maybe a therapist. What can I do to help her, and in effect help me repairing my relationship with her?
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Hi
Your mother does not get along with her daughters-in-law and it is affecting the relationship you and your brother have with your mother. It is necessary to know how long has it been since you have noticed a change in your mothers behaviour. It sounds like your mother could be feeling anxious and upset about something. It is necessary to know what could be triggering rage. Your mother having high BP can also add to the stress.
Your mother can consult a psychologist and talk about what could be bothering her. If your mother is not willing to do counselling sessions you can do counselling sessions and explain about your mothers behaviour and her relationship with you, your brother and her daughters-in-law. A psychologist will determine what is causing your mother to behave in a certain way.
I understand you are worried about your mother. Try to not stress too much. You can think of giving her space and time to process what she is going through. She might need some alone time. It is common for the elderly population to go through mental health issues.
Next Steps
Consult a psychologist. If you are not able to convince your mother to do counselling sessions you can do sessions and explain about your mothers behaviour.
Health Tips
Contact me for counselling sessions. Along with counselling I can suggest natural foods to calm the mind.
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Hi ,
Convincing your mother to see a Psychologist could be challenging but all it requires is empathy and patience . Create a comfortable relationship to get her to open up about her feelings and emotions , once you are able to Identify the reasons , then you can gently convince her , emphasise the fact that her privacy will be maintained , how safe it is to talk to a Psychologist about what’s going on in her life and how she can benefit.
In the meantime, stay neutral don't take sides . Consult a Psychologist to help you manage your mother’s relationship with you , your wife , your brother and sister in law, in a more healthy happy manner .
Normally as time goes by they get to know more about each other and discover good things about each other the relationships improve.
Celebrating her special occasions. You could also enrol her to pursue a hobby or spiritual activity .
Some times listening is an effective therapy , don’t explain her any thing just listen what she says to you . And try to involve her in activities.. which make her busy and happy.
Approaching a therapist / psychologist for a few counseling sessions for your 65 year old, living alone mother is likely to yield some positive results. Yet I would suggest you sons and daughters in law to learn to accept her the way she is, because I am not sure if her behaviour is likely to get modified in a way you all are expecting it to be in her present situation. Her current ways of dealing with you all may be the outcome of many factors like her basic personality, generation gap between you all and her in life's outlooks, ageing-related mental health issues, issues of physical health (like her hypertension) that may be triggering unfriendly behaviour in her and the emotional issues of loneliness etc. that she may be having right now. I would suggest you to get her through a thorough medical checkup including an assessment of her mental health to rule out issues like the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. I would also suggest giving her company occasionally by meeting her and living with her with a mindset that you all will not react to any of her words and deeds with any kind of negativity whatsoever. It may be difficult to accept her the way she is initially, but you all will learn to do that soon if you are committed towards rebuilding a better relationship with her.
The ageing process brings in many mental health issues which we often fail to recognise. Add to it the emotional loneliness that she might be living through. All these point towards the need to accept her the way she is, without carrying any negativity towards her words and deeds. This type of relationship style from you all will reduce her inner anxities and loneliness and improve her reactions towards matters pertaining to you all as a larger family.
Hello!
I can understand what you must be feeling. I appreciate your empathy and a wider outlook towards wanting to help your mom out instead of blaming the circumstance.
Yes, you are correct, she should talk to someone who is unrelated to the family dynamics. In this case a psychologist. She might get a chance to vent out without being judged and in turn might be able to hear a third person's perspective about everything and learn to look at the relationships in a new light.
I suggest you take her to a psychologist for counselling.
All the best to you!
Warm regards,
Rooplata
Hello,
You are concerned for your mother's mental well-being and want to her to be at peace.You have rightly acknowledged that she can express herself better with a neutral person, therapist to understand different perspectives.
Psychological counseling will help her and in turn help the entire family to maintain healthy cordial relations.
Living alone accompanied with the age factor can make her behaviour stubborn and bitter.As a mother there is always care and concern beneath the surface.
You can consult for further assistance.
Happy Healthy Living!
She need to meet family and marriage Counceling.where she understands how she can manage this kind of situation. Because everyone has their own perspective . It’s a family so it’s necessary work on with independent understanding which can help her as well as family . Necessary to meet family councellor .
Next Steps
Fix appointment with near by family councelling center
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Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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