MiL Has Chronic Depression and Anxiety...

Going inpatient is fun, truly, they have arts and crafts, they have group therapy, they try out meds on you and since it's a safe place it's easy to take them. If there's a reaction there is medical staff on hand to deal with it.

She will come out refreshed and on the right medication, hopefully anyway.

Going inpatient is often like having a short vacation where you come out feeling so much better and with new skills to face life's challenges.

what does she have to lose-if nothing else is helping-she should be stampeding towards the door for help-unless she just wants to be sad and ill-at a reputable facility, she should not be scared-best of luck-this can't be easy-she is lucky to have all of you, I pray that she realizes this before it is too late.

Whew. Ok. I have chronic depression and anxiety disorder. It took until just 8 years ago for me to finally get treatment. I'm 39. My therapist is still helpful, and the meds we use occasionally need adjustment. She's a good therapist and my family and friends are helpful in making sure I see any signs that I'm sinking or in a bad cycle. I've learned to notice the signs on my own as well and speak up if I feel something is wrong for more than a few days.

I wonder if your MIL needs a new, fresh neuro-psych evaluation from a new specialist. Checking in willingly to inpatient treatment will give her some control and to help make it less scary, she can ask them a lot of questions ahead of time. It's scary because it's unknown... and I take it because she's never done it before?

Whatever she needs.

She is lucky to have your H's support.

If this is what they are recommending, do it. The world will be a better place when mental health things are taken care of as well as physical things.

I'm glad your husband is going to these visits. Make sure your MIL signs something (assuming she's willing) that the doctor can share info with your husband when your MIL is not there.

If she's worse now, you had to question what caused the change. Menopause/hormonal changes? Another condition? Problems with the boyfriend (not sure if he's just "not helpful" or if he's part of the problem, or if he's new vs. a long-standing relationship)? Other meds in the way?

I'd say to look at whether she is changing meds too often, or not enough, if she is taking them as directed, and if she's getting the right therapy. I took meds for years and did therapy off and on, but what got rid of my depression (at least to the point where I don't need meds) was adding in additional nutrients. I didn't have the anxiety piece that your MIL has, but 2 colleagues of mine did have that, and we did the same thing to get rid of the problem. It's not an overnight fix, but then neither are the meds. I've been med-free for years now - still have some ups and downs but when I have a tough day I just add more of the same food-based supplement (because it's food, there's no risk of overdose). Since then, there's been even more work/research on gene expression (genes mis-firing and causing all kinds of imbalances, both physical and chemical/emotional) and also non-medical approaches to stress and fatigue. I'm guessing fatigue is a huge side effect of your MIL's depression, but it can also have a causative role. There are a lot of free seminars in the area as well as nationwide, which is where I got a lot of my info and my success stories from others.