My bf and I have been together 5 years. Just moved in together 3 months ago and got engaged less than 2 weeks ago. Well his mother lost her job 4 months ago. About a month or two ago she became really depressed and suicidal because she hadn’t found a job yet and was going to lose her apartment because they won’t renew the lease. She was suicidal and we told her if she didn’t find anything she could come live with us until she gets on her feet. She lives several states away.
We later found out she had stopped taking her anti-depressants because she was afraid she would run out of medicine (no insurance anymore but she has unemployment for a couple more months). We found her a clinic and they got her back on the meds. A few weeks go by and all this time she is saying that she is applying for jobs for hours every day and getting no response. We asked her for a list of jobs she has applied for so we could help her out and apply for some more for her. That’s when we found out she had stopped applying for jobs in the past month (basically since we said she could move in) and that even before that she had mostly just been applying to jobs in our state (since the day after we moved into our 2 bedroom apartment). When my fiance confronted she had another suicidal episode and we found out she had stopped taking her medicine AGAIN. She said she had been so depressed that she gave up looking and that she was lonely, etc and wanted to be closer to family and friends.
The problem is she can’t support herself in the city where we live because the cost of living is so high and she only has a GED so she can’t get a high paying job. I applied for 30 jobs in her state (which is far less expensive) for her in one day and saw that she got 3 responses for interviews in her email the next day and who knows if any of them called her. She had deleted all the replies for interviews. She cried and apologized when my fiance asked her about it. Well since then she still has not applied to even one job. She is moving in with us tomorrow.
My fiance has two siblings who who are barely getting by themselves. He is the only one who has a stable career and his own place and can help her, but even so we basically live paycheck to paycheck too with very little savings and are trying to save for a wedding. He has given a lot of financial support to his family in the past already.
I don’t know how to deal with someone who is suicidal and depressed. And I feel taken advantage of by her and I can’t put up with someone who is not trying to help themselves. If she was trying it would be one thing, but she is so depressed that she has stopped trying. We have come up with a list of rules about applying for jobs and seeing a therapist and taking her meds, but how can we enforce them? If we kick her out, she has nowhere else to go. I feel trapped and scared that she will have another episode while living with us. Please give me some advice!






2 Responses to “Depressed Unemployed FMIL Moving In with Us”
DON”T DO IT! SHE WILL BE THE END OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP!!!!!!!!!!! Oh man, major mistake letting her move in. She isn’t ever going to try to get out. She WANTS to live with you. Do you honestly think she is going to try and find a job and start supporting herself when she has you and her son to take care of her? Get ready to be the third wheel in your own relationship. Sorry but it is ultimatum time. I would give her a month and if she isn’t out by then, then I would break it off with your BF. Do you really want to live with your effed up MIL the rest of your life, with her mooching off you and constantly in your business? Cuz that is what you just signed up for.
Well its been about 10 days. She has applied to only about 4 jobs total since she’s been here. 2 of which were scams. She doesn’t seem depressed at all anymore although she isn’t taking any of her medication. I think we are going to have to give her an ultimatum to get out by the end of the year. She’s only in her early 50’s but its like having a child. It’s driving me crazy! She stays up late, sleeps til noon, doesn’t check her email to reply to job leads, etc… she goes days without checking her email or applying for jobs. Its out of control! My bf is in agreement with me but has yet to put his foot down. He has had talks with her but has not been tough enough on her. Anyone else have some advise to pass on?