My Dad has a terminal diagnosis (no one has given a clear prognosis but my assumption would be less than a year) and was hoping for a transplant but unfortunately he wasn't well enough to qualify. Since getting turned down my Mum says he's been very depressed, he's crying a lot, sleeping a lot, not eating much and is pretty unresponsive and down. .He's becoming increasingly weak and frail. He doesn't want to talk to anyone, reply to texts or for his family to visit. It's been about 10 days since he didn't get accepted for the transplant now and I'm more worried he will die earlier than he should and without any peace because it feels like he's given up and shut his family out. 

I can't say I really understand what he's going through but from what the doctor told us his latest tests results today suggest he's not going to die imminently and that there's psychological issues at play so it feels like we could miss out on important times together unnecessarily. Which makes it all extra sad. He didn't have depression previously, he was always quite the typical old-fashioned male pull-yourself-together type although I think the spark had gone out of him a little since he retired a few years ago. The doctor visited him at home and said to my Mum she would rather not put him on anti-depressants because of the side effects. 

Has anyone else got experience of a parent behaving in this way and if so how did it play out? Is this likely to be a phase? Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks so much x