MELTDOWN

Sixty-eight year old “Joyce” suffers from lung cancer that has spread to her kidneys. She has been living with her daughter, “Cathy” since her divorce years ago. Also living in the home is Cathy’s husband and teenage son.

Cathy’s husband has been out of work for more than two years. He is in construction and does side jobs, but the money isn’t consistent. Cathy has been attempting to get services from the county, but keeps getting denied. Cathy says that somehow the bills do get paid, although always late.

Cathy is devoted to her mother. Joyce suffers from depression and needs constant reassurance that things will work out. Joyce has a strong faith and gets comfort from reading the bible. She has no fears about dying due to that strong belief system.

Cathy has a large, extended family who reach out to her. She is the caregiver for all. She has a huge heart and cannot refuse anyone, even if she has nothing left to give. She shared during my visit today, that she had a meltdown two weeks ago. She said she was tired of being “The Good Girl”. She grabbed one of her husband’s whiskey bottles and started to drink. She added that she typically doesn’t drink. She then got into her car and drove down a country road. She ran into a tree which totaled her car. Fortunately she was not injured. She ended up in jail with a DUI on her record.

She has no regrets or remorse as she said the incident set her straight. Hopefully she has learned that she needs to reach out to others for support. I shared with her how asking for help is a gift she can give to her family and friends. The tremendous feeling of helping others benefits all. Old habits are hard to break. Sometimes it takes a bad experience to teach us challenging lessons in life. I hope Cathy has learned what she needs to learn.
 
 
MELTDOWN

　
She is the family caregiver.
Everyone constantly asks her for help.
She has always been there for others,
never once letting anyone down.

Her life has been difficult at best.
Tough times are familiar and frequent.
Cash is always in short supply
to pay what is long overdue.

Now that her mother is ill,
her energy is running on low.
She’s not used to asking for what she needs,
so her patience remains in short supply.

She had a meltdown the other day.
Behavior unfamiliar to her.
She was tired of being “The Good Girl”.
She got drunk and got in her car.

She drove her car into a tree.
Fortunately no injuries were sustained.
She landed in jail with a DUI.
She has no regrets or remorse at all.

She said it put her back on track,
although her energy will likely drain again.
Hopefully she’s learned to reach out
when she again becomes stressed
        to avoid another
                      meltdown.