What's the best thing to say to a patient who says "I just want to die I have nothing to live for anymore and no reason to". She has no family, her husband and relatives all passed away. She has esrd and severe copd and is in chronic pain. There are no solutions for her. How do you best respond to those kinda phrases? I'm always at an awkward loss.
Tips on what go say to depressed elderly patients
- Thread starter Kashdoc00
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Just talk, order some coffee and talk to them. I'm at an independent so it's not a steady busy. Usually just have them stay there and talk until another similar patient comes in and I introduce them to each other. They start talking.
Now this part is a little shady, but I do recommend edible THC to some of these patients if I know their doctor is this one certain doctor in our area. He's a pro-marijuana doctor, he actually called here asking one day if we will be doing the medical marijuana thing.
Now this part is a little shady, but I do recommend edible THC to some of these patients if I know their doctor is this one certain doctor in our area. He's a pro-marijuana doctor, he actually called here asking one day if we will be doing the medical marijuana thing.
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refer her to a psychiatrist. and ask her to come back with a script for antidepressant. ^
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Ask her if she needs a flu shot.
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Ask her out for tea and scones...or maybe locate a close senior day center were she can go and make friends
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lol
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"severe copd and is in chronic pain" I think depending on the amount of pain we are talking about you should suggest/hint at euthanasia. No creature deserves to be tortured and put in pain on a daily basis. It depends on your state though, because euthanasia is illegal in some states. I believe pentobarbital is often used for euthanasia off label.
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I did not know what to say, too and I remembered this article forwarded from friend....and so I share here (Under Fair Use License for educational purpose, non-commercial intention)
I value this list because whenever my lover complained that working 7 days a week for 10 hours a day is so hard....I did not know what to say and I said this wrong thing this article listed:
"What NOT to say: There’s always someone worse off than you are."
and my lover never welcomed that reply and I never understood why. Until this article came across my life...So I really want to share here because this article has a valid valuable advice that synced with me.
10 Things to Say (and 10 Not to Say) to Someone With Depression
Source: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/thumbnails/0,,20393228,00.html
How to show you care
What do you say to someone who’s depressed? All too often, it’s the wrong thing.
“People still have such a cloudy idea of what mental illness is,” says Kathleen Brannon, of Herndon, Va.
Below is a list of helpful things to tell someone battling depression, followed by what not to say, courtesy of the Depression Alliance (http://www.depressionalliance.org)
1 of 10: I’m here for you
What to say: You’re not alone in this.
What NOT to say: There’s always someone worse off than you are.
2 of 10: You matter
What to say: You are important to me.
What NOT to say: No one ever said that life was fair.
3 of 10: Let me help
What to say: Do you want a hug?
What NOT to say: Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
4 of 10: Depression is real
What to say: You are not going crazy.
What NOT to say: So you’re depressed. Aren’t you always?
5 of 10: There is hope
What to say: We are not on this earth to see through one another, but to see one another through.
What NOT to say: Try not to be so depressed.
6 of 10: You can survive this
What to say: When all this is over, I’ll still be here and so will you.
What NOT to say: It’s your own fault.
7 of 10: I’ll do my best to understand
What to say: I can’t really understand what you are feeling, but I can offer my compassion.
What NOT to say: Believe me, I know how you feel. I was depressed once for several days.
8 of 10: You won’t drive me away
What to say: I’m not going to leave you or abandon you.
What NOT to say: I think your depression is a way of punishing us.
9 of 10: I care about you
What to say: I love you. (Say this only if you mean it.)
What NOT to say: Haven’t you grown tired of all this “me, me, me” stuff yet?
10 of 10: We’ll get through this together
What to say: I’m sorry that you’re in so much pain. I am not going to leave you. I am going to take care of myself, so you don’t need to worry that your pain might hurt me.
What NOT to say: Have you tried chamomile tea?
Hope that helped someone out there......feeling greater
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