How can I help a friend who lost her husband?
It's been six months since my friend's husband passed away. She seems overwhelmed with grief and I worry that she is getting worse, not better. It's taken a long time for her to just get her feet under her with figuring out the finances and stuff. Now, she just seems so sad and isolated and lost. Is there anything I can do to help her?
I feel like a bad daughter but I need to protect my mental health.
My brother has a mental illness and refuses treatment. His life is falling apart in every way possible and he contacts our mom every day to tell her he doesn't have any money and he is about to be homeless and he lost his job. My mom spends all day every day trying to line up help for him or services so he doesn't wind up on the street. But he refuses help. So then my mom calls me repeatedly throughout the day to give me the latest update on the bizarre messages from my brother (sometimes they're incoherent) and the latest challenge she has encountered when trying to get him help. I had to tell my mom I can't listen to it anymore. I feel like a bad daughter as my mom needs support. But at the same time, I don't want my brother's refusal to get help for his mental health to wreak my mental health or interfere with my family. My mom implies I'm selfish for not helping more and part of me agrees. What I should do?
How do I help my friend who has depression when I'm emotionally drained?
My good friend has been depressed off and on since I've known her. I'm her main support person. This latest round of depression has lasted a long time and it's happened during a time when I'm busy with things going on in my life. I want to keep helping her but at the same time, I feel emotionally drained. I know I should be taking care of myself and saying no sometimes but when I try, I feel guilty, and think I should be able to do one more thing for her. How do I know when it's OK to say no?