3 posts shown.
To strikes me as some typical male stupidity—nothing so catastrophic that it couldn't be smoothed over after years of marriage, yet just enough to have an old man kneeling in the cornfields for four months.
I’m not sure how old her mom is, but hormonal shifts can start creeping in during the late 30s and trigger depression—which is, I guess, quite likely.
Of course, it could simply be that everything is piling up on her at once, but even then, it usually ties back to those hormonal changes that tend to happen around that age.
I have to say, I think your mom’s reaction might be a bit much—perhaps it’s just hormonal shifts or something along those lines? I get that she’s disappointed, but honestly, your dad’s nonsense on the phone isn't exactly a valid reason for someone to drop 20 pounds and remain completely unraveled for four months. It seems more realistic to aim for some kind of middle ground here.
Especially since you mentioned he’s actually trying,
Maybe she should look into getting some hormone panels done just to be sure.
What you’re describing sounds like nothing more than pure speculation. Honestly, you don't actually know what's going on—you're just spinning a narrative based on a single photo. If the situation were truly dire enough to threaten her life, or if she actually felt that level of danger, I highly doubt she would be casually sending photos of her "mess" to anyone.
I assume you aren't under any obligation—not even to think about diving headfirst into this mess, let alone offering full-scale support—even if your assumptions happen to be correct. If this really is a case of domestic violence, the smartest move is to seek professional advice from an organization like the National Domestic Violence Hotline or a local women's shelter—people who actually deal with this stuff. From my own experience, I'd say getting directly involved in these situations is rarely a wise move, regardless of who is involved.