Hi, my father (56) , was recently made redundant from a job he worked for nearly 40 year, he is registered disabled, and his anxiety and panic attacks have got increasingly worse, stressing him to breaking point , can anyone give me any advice for him regarding these issues ? Also if anyone has any suggestions for Christmas gift ideas for him to help his anxiety that would be much appreciated.
Thanks for taking the time to read .
First off love him as is. He really doesnt have much control over the mal function. Its awful. If he enjoys massages, id say ten minute ones at a a time many nail salons have them and take him for one. Many men go they have rooms so he wont feel embarrassed being in a salon. Just peek in your local salons and ask. They are about ten dollars for ten minutes. Id say if he is willing to get him acupuncture for anxiety as a gift. You would need to ask about for the prices. Its a bit expensive. A juicer is a good gift too. Celery juice with an inch of ginger and a green apple is a great tonic for anxiety. Theres tons of juicing recipes for the body. And very good to get in suppliments and such. You are a great son/daughter that you came on here and inquire!
Hi does he like puzzles? When I am highly anxious, Sudoku really helps me ;-)
Does he like to read also? I'm searching for a good book at the moment ;-)
Having something to do or someone to take care of can be therapeutic. If there is a hobby he may have always been interested in, a gift in that direction would be nice. Say a camera if he likes to take photos, golf clubbs if he likes golf, fishing rod if he likes fishing, some cooking lessons if he enjoys that (that is nice because he will get to socialise too) - just brainstorming.
Another idea is a pet if he likes animals. A cat is less work than a dog but can be rewarding.
To help ease his anxiety he will need to have something to do every day, so really a hobby of some kind is a must. Volunteering is another idea for him to feel useful and remain active.
As for his very reasonable anxiety response given the situation, if finding some sort of hobby or occupation to make him feel productive, useful and needed, does not do th etrick - it may be best to book an appointment with a therapist (either psychotherapist or psychiatrist) for some more immediate relief from his current pressing sensations.
Wishing you all the best.
You need to get Him to see your GP and let your Father discuss His loss of His Job. With being fifty six and disabled his feelings of possible worthlessness must be very raw. This negativity must be addressed and He will need encouragement. to look for a new position
Be firm, and kind over Christmas and New Year. Do not stifle Him.
If He wants to go back to work there are Organisations that will help. Discuss these with the Job Shops, they have a team that may be able to help, your GP may be asked for a report to explain your Dad and His Disability. It may work out that a benefit may be payable because of His condition
Good Luck to your Dad
BOB
Thanks for your replies guys.
He is registered disabled and also has dyslexia so puzzles and books aren't really ideal. Also while he is confident and funny and chatty amongst family, speaking to anyone else or being in certain social situations brings on his panic attacks. ( my partner is a recruitment consultant so we would have had no problem finding him a new job but he can't deal with interviews and situations like that without having an attack) Has now been signed off on the sick as manual tasks are becoming harder due to his lung capacity running at around 50% due to having polio as a child, therefor he can no longer work.
We have been to the doctors and they have prescribed pills to calm him in stressful situations but just wondered what else was out there .
I've read chamomile supplements help , anyone got anything else ?
Thanks again