Mum with depression wont take her medication anymore help!

[kailey01]

Hi my mum has had depression for as long as i can remember and she has always been on anti depressants which have helped make her into my beautiful bright and bubbly mum. Unfortunately they make her extremely drowsy and she is a night shift worker and is tired enough and she was over this so she decided to just stop taking them. Since then she hasn't been the fun, hilarious loving mum i know, she is constantly stressed and angry and says horrible things, none of my family can get along with her. I tried to get her back on them, we all have and are trying to support her but we don't know what to do. I just want my mum back.

[white knight]

Hi Kailey,  a warm welcome here.

I have a lot of night shift experience. I am also on anti depressants and have been on many types. Frankly anti depressants as told by my doctor to me when I was falling to sleep at work was "they all make you sleepy".

Shift work is grueling. It changes you...you become an alien !!

I would be more encouraging for her to leave shift work and find an alternative. 

You could wait until she takes annual leave and during that time take her to the movies and have a great day. Then talk to her about the day and how, while she works shift work she isnt the same person.

They are my ideas.  Hope others share their thoughts.

[kailey01]

Thank you very much White Knight. I think thats a great idea, the shift work definitely is making things much harder for her, i will mention it, thanks again, its much appreciated!

[geoff]

dear Kailey, thanks for joining this site, because it's good to get advice from those who have had or still have depression.

I agree that she should come off night shift, however the only problem maybe that it's a better wage, but then you have to balance up what's best for her and you, more money and been miserable or to be happy with a little less money and going back to where she was.

Money can't buy happiness, even if you win tatts it gives you temporary joy but this then soon changes.

Her livelihood and the happiness for you is much more important.

Yes antidepressants do make us tired but we learn on how to cope with this, like having an afternoon cat nap, which I can't miss, but I always love it. Geoff. x