How to get someone to get help.

My dad suffers from chronic sleep apnea and has for a while. Since he has always snored, he don't think its too big of a deal. He is now 62 and developed several health problems in the last 5 years that I don't think he would have developed otherwise. He refuses to go to a sleep clinic. I have read that if left untreated it could shorten someone's life by 5-10 years. Is this true and how do I convince him to get help?

Answer

Here is the most cruel and astonishing method to convince someone to go to a sleep study: buy a coffin and tell him you figure that if he doesn't want to take care of himself, you want to be prepared!

What I'm trying to say is do whatever you have to do to convince your father to go to a sleep study. He must understand that this is the decision that will ultimately determine the course of the rest of his life.

If your father hates sleep studies, doctors, and everything related, you may point out all the side effects of sleep apnea that inevitably follow this sleep disorder. In the future, he will have doctors in abundance if he doesn't do something about his sleeping.

Ask him how he would feel if the situation were reversed...if YOU refused to seek treatment for a potentially fatal condition that can be easily treated.

Or...Tell him: If you aren't going to get tested, than the least you can do is get a large life insurance policy so that when your heart blows from years of apnea induced oxygen starvation, at least me & the family will be able to get by. You can at least do that for us, can't you?

I know a friend who respected his mother decision and didn't force her to explain the issue. However, she accepted medical help, which was surgery, but it was too late. Even with the successful surgery, the ravages on her internal organs for years combined with the need to recover ultimately killed her.

He respected her wishes and lost not only his mother, but a good friend.

So...you have to do everything in your power to convince your dad to go to a doctor.

I have some tips for you on this page.

I hope it helps. Don't be afraid to comment back.

Some more interesting pages for you to check out:

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Remy
www.sleep-apnea-guide.com

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