Looking for a doctor for myself and don’t know where to start or what kind. I’m struggling with he fact that my mother has declined so quickly, I’ve placed her into a skilled nursing, my brother is not very involved and my father can’t make clear decisions for her care. I’m sad, scared and so disappointed in my father. I am a mother of 2 children and also managing my father, mother and all their problem together and individually. Not fun being the “sandwich generation”
I feel like I need therapy for myself to cope with grief, anger, anxiety before I loose my cool with my dad and ruin my relationship with him. Do I need a physchiatrist, phycologist, counselor- just want to research the right person to help me walk through this journey.
That being said, look into counseling of some kind, or maybe a support group. But, DO NOT start any Benzodiazepines, as suggested below. They can cause dementia, and you don't want that.
I found this tentative solution one day a couple of years ago when my hub chased me out of the house because he was in a demented rage about something that wasn't even real. (I had the cell phone in case he needed help, and actually I voluntarily got chased out) Got in the car and escaped in tears down the road and just happened upon a church one block from the house.
The girl that talked me out of my tears was the daughter of the therapist, and asked me if I could go upstairs when he was upset and let it blow over. Best advice I had in a long time, and she was way younger than I. I set up a room so that I could take the cell in case he needed help, but he couldn't get up the stairs to follow me. But the point is, I remember that her mother was a therapist. And I may just go back there to see if I have someone to talk to.
Establish a professional relationship, which having someone to talk to regularly can prevent panic and benefit you!
Sandwich generations are the participant group for many stress studies. I learned this a few years ago when I was a caregiver, and was surprised that this was the category chosen for the stress studies I was reading about. There are unique challenges for sandwich caregivers. It's an unprecedented level of demand on the caregiver, as their senior LOs are living longer and modern medicine tries to keep them alive for even longer, while still raising children and all the demands that come with parenting. I agree that you do need *something* because you're in an extraordinarily challenging position. I hope you find the right help, whatever it is.