Only children: how do you/will cope with parents getting older/ill? | INFJ Forum

Only children: how do you/will cope with parents getting older/ill?

Artemisia

Community Member
May 20, 2014
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This post may not be very pleasant but I wonder: for those of you who are only children, how did/will you cope with parents getting ill or dying? I ask because I am an only child and have been having a hard time for over four years.

My dad passed away over four years ago and if that were not enough, the year after my mom was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. She takes her burden without much complaining but at this point, I feel like I am her parent and she is my daughter. I live abroad and she lives alone so every day I have to check up on her via Skype to make sure she is a) alive and b) well. It is very difficult.

For those of you who have gone through this sort of thing with your parent, how did you cope? How old were you? Did other people help you? Also, for those of you who are only children, do you think about what you will do if your parents become ill or die?

Sorry for the gloomy post. I just want to know how only children cope with such things and if other people help you. I feel like I can only count on myself.