Alan’s mother has just been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. Alan was pursuing a graduate degree in art history at the Univers
ity of Chicago when his mother’s health started to decline. He dropped out and moved to rural Virginia to care for her. What might be a major reason for him seek out a support group for caregivers?
Alan was a student in a big city before he came home to take care of his ill mother. He dropped out of university and stopped pursuing his chosen career. He moved to rural Virginia where he now feels stuck. He has a moral dilemma: on the one hand, he feels obliged to care for his mother, on the other he feels he is wasting his life. He would probably get depressed with time, especially if he compares his life to the life of his friends. He would feel lonely, isolated, feeling life is passing him by. He might seek a support group to find some people in similar situation, he could tell them about his problems, feel understood and valued. He might ask them for some advice on how to care for his mother and he might share his experience with others.
