Planning short vacation. Anxiety creeping in again knowing my ornery mother (89), living independently, will give me a hard time. Advice?
Hi--some of you have helped so much over the last year. I know I should be better by now, but your encouragement and advice help me improve more and more, albeit little by little. I dread telling my mother I am leaving town. I have gotten better and she has too, but I still get that awful guilt when I tell her, and still worry about her when I leave--not her physical well-being, but rather her emotional neediness. Her manipulative capabilities are impressive. My psychologist has helped a ton but here comes that time of year again when I visit my kids and grandkids and take short vacations with my husband. We keep it to 3-4 nights max. She lives independently, drives and cooks, and so far has done very well. She has two cell phones and an emergency necklace, and I try to have someone in place to visit or whom she can call if she has an emergency. She says she wants this support but often fights me on this to some extent. It is never quite right. I need a shot in the arm--thanks to all who can advise.
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