[nikon]

hi there
I've had a rocky relationship with my mom since I was a kid. Had what I now know was a type of OCD as a child in which obsessive thoughts about my mom was the main feature. Fortunately I have gotten past that now, because some things recently would have triggered it badly. Sometimes I don't know if my mom is acting normal or not and it really bothers me, and I don't know who to ask about it. I'm not sure if some of it is from getting older, although she's not old old. She recently had an op to remove haemorrhoids and has been increasingly obsessed with the involved body parts and just talks about it constantly. I've read online that older people often get obsessed with bowel movements or something but I have no idea if that's what's going on.

What kind of bothered me though was a while ago when she changed my nephew's nappy, I walked in on them playing this game of throwing the urine-soaked nappy up onto the curtain rail and pushing it off again. Like my mom was just throwing this dirty nappy around and they were both laughing hysterically at it. I was just thinking, what the f***? I don't think I'm particularly squeamish, but is it normal for an adult to play a game like this? Ok - I realise "normal" basically doesn't exist, but I feel extremely uncomfortable around all of this. I kind of wanted to ask someone about it but feel too embarrassed to talk to my therapist about it. I wasn't going to say anything to my sister (my nephew's mother) about it, because I have no idea whether she'd laugh it off or be horrified.

[pegasus]

Hi, welcome to Psych Central.

Have you noticed any other changes in her memory or personality? Has she become more forgetful, does she know who her family are?

It could be many things, dehydration can cause a type of delirium, she could have a type of dementia developing or depression. Please don't be afraid to discuss this with a health professional. If there is something going on, then treatment can be started.

[Sunflower123]

Hello. Welcome to PC.

[chris12]

Originally Posted by Jennifer 1967

Hello. Welcome to PC.

Well I personally feel that behavior is unusual. Perhaps she is no aware of exactly what she is doing is strange behavior.
I would ask her about it casually and see what her response is. That will give you more of an idea how she perceives things if she cannot see it as unusual herself.

Chris

[nikon]

Thanks Jennifer, Pegasus and Chris.
She is already on antidepressants but despite suggestions of seeing a therapist she never does take the leap. She does seem a lot more forgetful lately, but just forgetful, not like the complete change of dementia.
Thanks for your replies though. In therapy I really find it difficult to talk a lot of the time, and especially when it's around certain topics. Like I would definitely avoid any words around these topics because they're ... sensitive? or like vulgar or something? anyway, talking about them aloud feels too vulnerable/intimate at the moment so it helps to get feedback in another space.