Last month, my mother had a tumor removed from her brain. Since then, she has been in rehab and physically she seems to be doing very well (thank God).
However, since such a delicate surgery was done on her brain, her personality has changed quite a bit. She is absolutely convinced that the entire nursing staff at the rehab is out to get her, and that all of the other patients see her as the ring-leader of a huge escape from the place. Because she's threatening to run away, the nurses at the rehab have put an alarm on her bed which only enhances her paranoia.
The doctors said changes in personality are common after such a surgery, but they have given no indication that the paranoia will go away.
My question is, should I be playing along with her delusions, or should I try to tell her how it is? She always becomes very angry (another side effect of the surgery) when I try to tell her the nurses are right, and that I'm working with them against her.
2007-01-23 00:14:14 · 8 answers · asked by EvilFairies 5 in Health ➔ Mental Health
I just had a tumour removed from my brain in november 06.A lot has changed about me as well all thow Im not angry or peranoid nothing like that I just space out a lot and forget things and kind of dont know what to say at times. Her brain is still healing right now it takes awhile for that to happen my doctor told me once Iam completley healed I should be ok or things should at least get better. I say just hang in there with your mom she is not going to get it. People with brain problems do not know or see that problem I did not notice anything wrong with me untill my parents said somthing about it so maybe talking to her about that might help but it might not. Most important thing is for you to be there for her and support her no matter what she does she needs that more then anything now. I hope everything gets better and glad she is ok. take care.
2007-01-29 05:30:05 · answer #1 · answered by Amy D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know your mother best, however I would suggest you telling her that they are not out to get her in a calm fashion not overbearing (this may anger her immediately and defeat your purpose). When she starts with it just try to stay calm and say "Mom they are only here to help you and I'm monitoring everything they do, so nothing bad happens to you. The paranoia your experiencing is normal after this type of surgery and should relieve it's self once the brain completely heals." By constantly explaining it to her (while it may get tiresome she should start to believe you)
I would ask the doctor if the paranoia is going to be permanent (which most likely they will tell it should alleviate itself, but there are cases where some patients don't recover from it) and second I would ask if there is kind of medication to help with the paranoia. You know if she is paranoid of them it's making rehab difficult, so you want the best results. While you need to stay calm and reassuring with your mother, you need to be firm with doctors. Good luck to you!
2007-01-23 01:50:05 · answer #2 · answered by be happier own a pitbull 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to her doctors again, and again until they take you seriously and order a psych consult. Someone needs to assess her functioning. This could be detrimental to her rehab in the long term. My inclination is to tell her that she's feeling this way because of the surgery but really I'd wait to see what someone with more experience in these types of brain injuries says about how to respond to her.
2007-01-23 07:32:08 · answer #3 · answered by stargirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This may require a lot of loving patience and empathy. "Playing along" with others may cause some quite disastrous consequences because human beings somehow consciously or unconsciously capture whether people are sincere to them or not.
There may be some way to help her to gain or regain some sort of trust and confidence in the world, some way to escape the feeling of FEAR, and so to regain some HOPE and some degree of healthiness. A method would be to LET HER TELL extensively freely what she thinks and what she feels about her actual life, about her fears, about what her children and others should do, about what nurses and doctors should do, and so try to pick up the good sensible things that she says and so enhance them in a loving conversation with her.
It would be good to somehow help her escape physically and/or mentally from that place, asking her about where she would like to go, asking her about where she really would love to go, and so offer to help her plan that voyage and sincerely tell her about what you think are the concrete possibilities, or limits, of that voyage, and so let her freely respond.
It may be necessary to make her FEEL that it is HER who is the main actor in the development of her own life. Rehabilitation in her case means that she should be asked about her own possibilties of rehabilitating herself, and how others, family, professionals and not, might help her as an independent human being and not just as an entrapped passive object of medical surgical treatment.
Thru her own suggestions she may be helped into getting a feeling of HOPE, of not being entrapped any more, of not having to fear, and into definitely feeling that surgeons and nurses are her friends and not her foes.
2007-01-29 22:56:15 · answer #4 · answered by pasquale garonfolo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh no, tell her that you have warned all of them that they must not do anything to her that you and her do not approve of, or there will be hell to pay....let the nurses know that you have told her this, and that you can assure them, that you have faith in them...and give your mom the security she needs while she is getting better...let her know that the sooner she gets better, the sooner she can come home, but in the meantime, YOU are not going to let anything happen to her...God bless, sweetie, you have your hands full.
2007-01-23 00:58:22 · answer #5 · answered by MotherKittyKat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well who knows for sure if your mother is right, after all she is the one that had the surgey, and maybe , just maybe there could be something to her story. I would kind of check it out, before telling her she was wrong.
2007-01-23 01:08:41 · answer #6 · answered by Ladyofathousandfaces 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
she needs to reminded that she is "loved" and everything is going to be OK. explain further that the nurses are there to help her. she needs re-assurance all the time and try to stay with her as much as you can to ease her mind.
2007-01-26 17:03:59 · answer #7 · answered by Lola 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably the drugs they have her on.
2007-01-30 01:54:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋