Adapted from an online discussion.
Dear Carolyn: My mother-in-law, 71, has always suffered from severe anxiety and hasn’t honestly admitted this to herself. She now has a serious health diagnosis where she’ll be undergoing treatments and facing scary diagnostic tests for at least the next few years.
We’re struggling with how to support her because she usually is extremely negative and assumes the worst. She gets irrationally upset when I try to be positive. I’m especially worried because I know positivity has proven medical benefits. —…
