dads depression

[dyli795]

my dad has just turned 81, hes always had periods of depression but hes always recovered , he is a terrible worrier and my mothers health is of great concern to him/ along with worry over himself, us , his grown up children the side effects of medication etc.in the last 12 months , he seems to have fallen into a big black hole that nothing can get him out of, hes seen a psychiatrist, been on prozac which he had a bad reaction to, the thing is hes wasting what years he has left taking no interest in life whatsoever. the thing is hes an intelligent man with a BSC. who used to teach. hes agreed after all this time, that he needs some kind of medication but is scared because of his first experience but it breaks my heart to see this wonderful kind clever man going through hell. i thought of going to see his doctor secretly to give her the true picture but i know hed be furious. ive always been able to turn to answerbank for help and never been disappointed, i would be so grateful for anyones comments, experiences or advice.thanks in advance. dylis.

[jay139]

So sorry to hear about your dad,depression is very common in the elderly( I know this does not makeit any easier)

I would go to the doctor and discuss it with them,your dad may be upset at first, but may thank you for it in the long run. no one should have to suffer depression like this in this day and age. Ther are options out there.best of luck to you all x

[beryllium]

Hi dylis, i'm a little shocked at your dad being prescribed Prozac, did a qualified psychiatrist prescribe this? or a gp? here's some info that may be of use...

http://www.biopsychiatry.com/elderly.htm

go armed with as much facts as you can.

[dyli795]

i was so uplifted and grateful for of both your replys. a gp did prescribe prozac and he got the shakes from it. that link you gave was brilliant i will show my dad . and hope he sees its not a weakness to take medication. grateful thanks to you both, dylis.

[WendyS]

It does sound as if your dad seems to have lost confidence in himself and with all the other concerns he has, has felt unable to cope. Are your other brothers/sisters able to get together with you and your parents as a family to provide some "booster support" to get him sufficiently motified to go back to the doctor. Perhaps you should offer to go with him. He might argue against it, but perhaps it's just the fear of taking the next stage alone. If your mother is also unwell, he's possibly unable to get too much support from her at the moment and maybe this is the time when you need to take the lead, walking into him and say "Now Dad, this has gone on long enough. This is what YOU AND I are now going to do". And phone the doctor, make an appointment and go with him. Perhaps he just needs somebody else to be in the driving seat for while until he gets his self confidence back at dealing with life in general.