In my 30s, I had major depressive psychosis and was hospitalised for several years. My husband left and my children were put into care. Eventually, I recovered, got a good job and made a home for us all. I am now in my 80s and my children and grandchildren are all doing well, but I am again becoming depressed, introspective and agoraphobic. I go to sleep at night wishing for death. My daughters, who live nearby, visit fortnightly for a chat, but I feel unwanted and am unable to talk to them about my depression as they shut the conversation down if I mention it, perhaps recalling their childhood. I fear increasing old age, and have little money or energy for outside activities. What friends I have left live many miles away and my social life is now on the internet. What should I do?
• When leaving a message on this page, please be sensitive to the fact that you are responding to a real person in the grip of a real-life dilemma, who wrote to Private Lives asking for help, and may well view your comments here. Please consider especially how your words or the tone of your message could be perceived by someone in this situation, and be aware that comments that appear to be disruptive or disrespectful to the individual concerned will be removed.
• If you would like fellow readers to respond to a dilemma of yours, send us an outline of the situation of about 150 words. For advice from Pamela Stephenson Connolly on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns.
• All correspondence should reach us by Wednesday morning. Email: private.lives@theguardian.com (please don’t send attachments).
