This is really stupid, but I’m worried. I’m still living at home and I trust my mom, but I’m getting really really scared. My mom usually doesn’t come home past 6:30, 7:30 at the very latest, it’s 9:45 and she’s not answering her phone or returning her calls. I’m feeling sick. Do I call the police? Should I wait until she’s at least been missing the whole night before I do that? Should I go around to places she usually goes to (pretty much just the grocery store and Target) looking for her? I really need help staying calm.
I know it’s really stupid and it’s probably a bad idea to post this but I’m really worried.
I think you may have generalized anxiety disorder; do you worry about other things in different context?
Try to focus on the fact that your mum did come back all the time, and remind yourself that emotions are not a dip-switch; just keep dwelling on that fact, keep yourself busy…and breath slowly, deeply, hold the breath there for a while, then release. Above all, try not to contact your mum.
(PS. Armchair -plus some personal experience- advice. Get professional help!)
Just try to keep calm. Even if something “happened”, it doesn’t neccesarily mean it’s a terrible thing. Her car could have broken down in a perfectly safe area that happens to have bad/no cell reception for her particular carrier, for example.
Also, keep in mind that many of the big box stores such as a grocer or Target have terrible phone reception since they’re basically big metal and concrete cages. If you do go looking for her, make sure to remember to leave a note or she’ll be freaking out about you when she pulls in 30 seconds after you leave. And give her a big hug when she shows up. Best wishes.
Painting someone with a broad brush of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a little premature, IMO.
Jragon I totally understand that you’re worried about your mom. It’s OK to be anxious, especially since this is so out of character for her. The best thing you can do is take deep breaths and remain calm.
It’s more than likely that she’s running an errand or got delayed at work… but as someone who suffers from anxiety disorders, I know just how easy it is to let your mind wander into some bad places.
Do you have relatives or neighbors that she may have visited or called to say where she would be… or a work number for your mom that you could try? If not, give her a deadline and if you haven’t heard from her by then, I would recommend calling the police. Your location doesn’t tell me where you’re at but if it’s a small town, it’s likely that the police will be active in trying to track her down. A larger city, not so much, but I would report it nonetheless.
Good luck and don’t forget to post when she gets home!
She hasn’t gotten home yet, yes I have anxiety, but I’m also an idiot.
My mom just started working at Target a month or two ago as a second job because of pay stuff at work. She works until 10:00 PM today give or take, which is very rare so I didn’t expect it, I remembered about halfway down the driveway. I have no idea what triggered this freak-out probably a little stress on something I’ve been dwelling on today. So yeah, nothing to see here, move along. :smack:
I went through something similar at the end of last year only with my kid rather than my mother. It wasn’t till I’d been down to the letterbox a half dozen times that I remembered she had her first ‘road patrol’ practice that day and would be half an hour late*. As you say,:smack:, indeed.
*yes, half an hour of missing kid *does *equal two hours of missing parent.
A couple years ago, my parents took a long weekend trip to Arizona. My mother has a tendency to “overtell” one kid and not tell others. She told me several times that they were going on the trip, when they’d be back, etc., but forgot to tell my sister. (My mother claims she told each of us, which simply prompted us to accuse her of not being able to tell us apart and to ask if she’s ready for the home.)
So my sister calls my parents, leaves a message. They don’t call her back, and by the next day, she’s in a flat panic that something has happened. Fortunately, she called me rather than the police so it was all sorted. My dad now is responsible for sending an email to all the sibs before my parents go anywhere so as to prevent this type of thing from recurring.
If you think thats bad wait until you have kids someday and they take the car out for the first time alone and they are late getting home. :eek:
Wore my fingernails to the bone that day.
Now she is 18 and has her own car so I can’t say dick about when or where she goes. She was out earlier this week when there were snow squalls driving her brother to Wal-mart. :rolleyes:
Once in a while my sister calls me all freaked out because she hasn’t been able to get hold of Mom. I have to talk her down and remind her that Mom does have a life. Then I call my mom and tell her to call her other kid before the kid has a stroke.
Well, that’s good news indeed! I’m glad to hear she was OK. Maybe the two of you can put your heads together to develop a system of writing down “who’s coming home when” like on a wall calendar or something so neither of you freak out.
Also, a gentle reminder that what you were feeling is just what your mom would have been feeling had the situation been reversed. When you’re young, I know it’s hard sometimes to understand that us old fogies worry about you young’ns so I’m hoping that you will always have the respect to call home when you’re going to be late.
Lastly, I forgot to say this last night but posting here is not a bad thing. I certainly hope you don’t think WE think you’re stupid. You will find some of the most compassionate people here, well, and a few jerks too but you know what I mean.
Dunno about that. As long as you are supporting her in some way, and especially if she’s living in your house, you can pretty much keep the strings on as much as you want. (not saying you necessarily should though)
