Posted by Declan on October 21, 2005, at 15:05:04
In reply to Re: Paranoid Delusions » rjlockhart98, posted by Glydin on October 21, 2005, at 13:54:59
When my mother was suffering agitated depression she said things that appeared delusional. It took me a while to realise that what she was saying wasn't delusional really. She might say 'I'm ruined, there's no hot water, no power, the banks won't give me any money, how will we eat?' The trigger (to use a familiar word) might have been that she couldn't work out which was the hot tap and which was the cold tap, had a cold shower, and drew her conclusions. But unlike your aunt there wasn't anything remotely enjoyable for her in it. I had long conversations with her about the bank. She'd say 'But we have no money' and I'd say 'If the bank won't give you your money you should change banks, let's see, we'll go in and ask for some', and she'd say 'But they won't give you any'. I came to the conclusion that such conversations were worse than useless, and that I should just absorb and feel, as a filial duty, her sense of despair. And I think that did help, over time.
Declan
poster:Declan
thread:569769
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20051021/msgs/569886.html