Hello

I guess I will start with some background on my mom. Born and raised in a European country, very poor, little education. At the age of five was shipped off to another country to keep her safe from war, and five years later ripped out of that environment to go back with her family. First issue abandonment. Finally back home, dad was completely unavailable to her and abusive to her mother. Get married through an arranged marriage, husband (my dad) also completely unavailable emotionally.

Fast forward...two kids later they come to the US. She learns to speak, read and write enough to get by. Divorced when I was 16. Remember she has very little education and a language barrier, so the best she can do is minimum wage work, and I become the head of the household. I finally move out at 22 and she remarries and move to Florida.

Okay, She calls me everyday. If I do not pick up the phone she calls repeatedly until I answer. Usually she is in a panic by call 3. Then she starts calling my sons or my brothers to find out if they know why I am not answering. She tells me thing like "you are my rock" or "I don't know what I would do without you." When she finally gets me on the phone, she has nothing really to talk about except her list of complaints, her sick friends, or what she cooked for dinner. Oh, and she always sounds depressed.

To say she is suffocating me would be an understatement! BUT I have no balls to tell her to stop because I feel sorry for her. I know she needs therapy, but at 72 there is no way her pride would ever let her admit it. HELP!!!! I'm losing my mind and I really need some separation from her.
Any and all advice will be welcomed and considered.

If you have been through this yourself, I would especially like to hear how you handles it.

Thanks!