Dear Anxiety Driven Mom, You Can Do This
You know anxiety all too well and what it's like raising littles with this ugly mental illness. Dealing with the full parenting load while simply just trying to breath. Parenting with anxiety is a whirlwind to say the least. Each and everyday is a guessing game as to the level your anxiety will reach.
Once you wake up (if you even slept to begin with) you're just waiting for that truck load of cement to dump on you. The pressure to perform as a "normal" mom and as a "normal" human being is simply exhausting.
Bedtime arrives, and while most outside of our mental illness bubble believe that night will bring us rest, our anxiety only becomes greater. We know the insomnia is coming. The anxiety then heightens at the thought of anxiety.
Oh dear mama, you can do this
Do what is best for you
Parenting with mental illness isn't fair and it isn't easy. It isn't something you can sit back and do nonchalantly. Parenting with mental illness takes a lot of thought, and a lot of preparation. It takes intentionality to be the parents our kids deserve. While it's not easy, it is attainable. While it takes a lot of effort, we are capable of being great parents!
Take care of your mental health to the best of your abilities. That means seeing the best doctors, therapists, and psychologists. As my husband says "therapy isn't for the broken, it's for the breathing", because everyone has something broken inside that would benefit them from talking through it.
Make appointments with doctors and/or psychologist to evaluate what you need. Try whatever natural options they know of. If those natural ways aren't helping, don't be shy to ask for a medication that can helps aid in rewiring your brain.
Whatever you do, make sure you're doing what is best for you. Take a bath. Go for a walk in the sunshine. Read a book. Talk to friends, family, or a professional. Whatever you do, just do it!
Fight the temptation to give up
There are so many options out there to aid in feeling better, both physically and mentally. What works for someone else may not work for you either. It's a long and bumpy road to gaining back your mental health. You will fail sometimes. There will be days your kiddos see you struggling, and they won't be able to comprehend it. However, for all the days you struggle, there will be better days along the way. There will be days you can hang in there! It is all about finding the best solution for you!
All you have to do is try. Put in the effort to gain that mental strength and healthiness. Is it painfully difficult to find a doctor, call to schedule an appointment, and actually get up to go? Absolutely! Your brain might fight you every step of the way. Your mind might even tell you that you are incapable and worthless.
Fight the temptation to give up trying, because as a mom, we cannot give up on them. We will never be perfect, nobody is, but they do deserve our best. Choose your kids and make mental health happen.
Moving forward
While moving forward is always a good thing, don't get discouraged about taking a step back or even getting knocked a step back. Life isn't easy and your anxiety will get the best of you sometimes. Though we are constantly moving forward, remember that having rougher days or rougher weeks doesn't mean you're moving backwards. Rougher moments are still propelling you forwards.
Whatever your day looks like, whatever emotions fill your brain, whatever life throws at you, just remember that you can do this!
