Do you have any time at all? Obvious answer would be to find a part time job and if possible, help him with his business any way possible. If you gave more info about his business maybe we can throw some ideas out.
so are you saying, that he and you do practical solutions using sheer will / ambition / tenacity power to solve the problems? this is quite complicated problems now overstress and depression, if beyond one's controls, then there are few solutions that i know and experience, from the pills, psychological consultations, and spiritual solutions. pills tinker with the brain's chemicals = temporary, can work to feel relax and happier, can have side effects, make the heart numb (can't feel much) can do the shift to 'pleasure / enjoyable activities' , that's what some people do, e.g ignore the problems for the moment and watch tv instead or some hobbies, after all the overstress work psychological tinker with the beliefs of the mind , talking about it is quite good, rather than suppressing it maybe come up with practical things some more to fix the problems when discussing with others but it is as good as the people discussing it - their level of knowledge, experiences, wisdoms, skills, expertise, level of consciousness etc - so some 'self-help' books might be useful and indeed, if practical solutions fix it, no more stress, until the next problems... spiritual tinker with the core / root for me personally, dealing with the overstress / depression is i tinker with the core, that i find permanent cure, hehe, then the bonus / solutions can come up out of the blue or help from right people / synchronicity - right time right place / some kind of inspirations / creativity for the solution no solution also ok, it is supposed to be like that for the moment, but no overstress / depression i don't want to use 'spiritual terms' yet , so just a very brief statement And i assume this mental anguish / depression / overstress is a form of suffering and i have heaps of experiences with those, with my point of views on how to permanently cure it. And I think it is not the common ways. So, in my opinion, this is the core thing, Suffering is caused by, according to the Vedic: (copy and pasted) "1. Not knowing the true nature of reality. 2. Clinging to or grasping or holding to that which is ephemeral transitory or not real. 3. Aversion to, revulsion to, running away from, fear of that which is insubstantial transitory, ephemeral or not real. 4. Identification with a false and constricted and habitual self i.e. ego 5. Fear of death. All other causes of suffering can be somehow related to these five. And all of these 5 causes of suffering are contained in the first one i.e. not knowing the true nature of reality." i throw in "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." - Albert Einstein So, my opinion is Either your father find that core or you help him show him that, but it is a long process to find the core, the faster would be the pills, enjoyable activities and psychological consultations.
I've calculated the amount I would get from a part-time, and it's quite minuscule in the grand scheme of things, as it would only be able to pay off monthly bills (which I can already do with my saved funds). He is in the management advisory area. From what I gather, small businesses don't believe they need this service, as they don't believe they are in any trouble at all (even though it is clear they are not as successful and profitable as they may be). It is obviously a lot more complex than that. I don't think this applies to us, as we refuse to ignore problems and prioritise our pleasure over responsibilities. We refuse to. Doping on pills is against our beliefs, as it is not productive. It doesn't get results, and it doesn't fix problems. I guess "depression" is not the right word, more like a crisis. That's the thing we've been trying to do, but when the issue is that the economy doesn't flux in your favour, there aren't many viable solutions.. My father is a highly spiritual man, and that's what has helped him to cope and keep a sane mind all this time. The issue I see is that addressing the symptoms will never fix the problem. 1. The true nature of reality is that the economy has transformed such that the demand for my father's specialization has diminished. 2. What we cling for is survival. No income, means no way to survive. Quite real IMO. 3. Related to #2 I think. 4. Ego might be an issue, I'm not sure. 5. If that is synonymous to survival, then I suppose. Pills and psychological consultations are extreme measures, and I don't think he's at that stage. I'm also not asking for business advice. I'm asking what one can do, as a son. What can you do to help keep your parents' morale high, and instil positivity in your household?
It is understandable to revert back to survival related fear and instinct if one is threaten losing possession and can't do much about it i can't advice how to keep parents' morale high, since i don't have live with them for long time, and little experiences, it is usually my other siblings' job or their siblings, God bless their little cotton socks for the hard job, lol What I find is they (or other parents) deal things on their level of consciousness / understanding. It is good then if they still have siblings and children or friends around them for emotional supports and for each others, if the issue is emotional or mental chaos. p.s that my 'spiritual tinkering' maybe the wrong term.... should be 'awakening tinkering', and that's how i solve my own 'crisis'
Since there is sufficient income and savings in the short term. I think having worked for many years he deserves a break and spare time to look for new jobs. In my personal experience one keeps on sending job applications and goes to interviews with enthusiasm and best efforts but low expectation of results, then the disappointment of failure should have less impact. Hopefully one job will come soon. Sometimes it is good to volunteer for a day or a few in the week. Opportunities may come about. In the long term if the job situation is structural for his forte (this is to say the profession jobs are in decline or in preference for younger cheaper managers) then may have to down grade to a lower job grade which may not necessarily pay less. Do not pressure oneself to get a job soon or the stress may get too much and get a nervous breakdown. At an older age, health is more important than immediate job. You did not mention anything about family, friends and relatives, this is the time as always to get together to unite for communal support. I cannot stress the importance of unity with friends and relatives since unity is force against adversity. However this is a difficult cultural shift. What I had done, if there are savings, is to eat into the savings to buy you time if situation became too stressful. Money does not buy happiness but sure does buffer the stresses and pay the bills for now.
