by Dr. Judy Kariansky (NAPSA)—A strong mother/ daughter bond helps mold girl into a woman. Yet despite positive changes a mother and daughter can enjoy as a woman matures, her relationship with her mother may encounter problems. For example: It is hard for a mother to i acknowledge her Serown daughter’s independence and newrole in the family. Mothers need to "be responsive to changes in their daughters. DaughDr. Judy ters need to under—_——™" stand that it may take time for their mothers to see them as an adult. Women notice traits in their mothers that they don’t want to duplicate. Daughters should recognize the “good” in their mothers, while tempering reactions to “undesirable” qualities. * Mothersoften instill guilt by warning against straying from their “mom knowsbest” judgment. But constant pestering pushes children away. Instead, give daughters room to grow and make parenting decisions on their own. Daughters should include their parents in family activities to create morefulfilling relationships for everyone. For some women, changing roles while aging may prove to be difficult. As many as one in eight womendevelopclinical depression, often not manifesting until later in life. More than half of women believe that during menopause depression is “normal” and treatment is unnecessary, so more than half of those who become depressed never seek professional care. As daughters become caregivers of their mothers, they are in the best position to determine whether their mothers are depressed and can encourage them to seek help. There are several ways to determineif someone you love is experiencing depression—discuss something you’ve seen or read about depression so she can recognize the symptoms, or notice if she has been neglecting friends or normalactivities. Depression can befrightening, but it can be managed with the help of a medical professional. In addition to therapy, medication is available. The most important help mothers and daughters can give each other is being supportive. Mothers and daughters can rely on one of the strongest bonds in life— mother and daughterlove. To read other articles by Dr. Judy, visit www.matureamer ica.org/just_for_women.
