Parenting is a lot more than you’ll ever expect. I wasn’t prepared for it, and I wasn’t prepared for what I’d have to do to be a successful parent. No matter the amount, having kids is a huge responsibility, and ever since having these children, my life has revolved exclusively around them. Me time? Yeah, that was a thing of the past.
I didn’t think I could do it anymore. I was at the end of my wits. Stress was becoming so serious that I was developing anxiety problems, and I was unable to think clearly half of the time. Obviously, this wasn’t healthy for me or my children, who had to deal with this stress as well. Add in an already stressed out husband (primarily due to my own overwhelming life) and you can guess just how bad it became.
No children should have to deal with a high-strung mommy!
I didn’t realize how serious the problem was when my husband first started pushing me to go to therapy. As already mentioned, his life was stressful as is – so much so that he decided months ago to get professional help. While this has helped him some, he hasn’t reached his full potential and I believe a large part of that was due to my refusal to accept the fact that I needed help. At first I thought he was off his rocker, but it became increasingly apparent that I, too, needed some sort of help to manage my feelings surrounding these kids.
Even after I considered that there might be something to his suggestions, I didn’t have time – I had three kids to look after! It takes a lot of time to look up a good counselor, find one wtih an available appointment, and then make my way there. We live in a very small community in the “boonies” – which isn’t exactly loaded with licensed therapists. Apparently, this is a real problem for many people who live in rural areas like me. Perhaps that’s why we see the highest suicide rates?
My mental health continued to degrade and I thought that I was going to lose it. I kept looking into atlernatives, however, and was ecstatic to learn about online counseling. It’s exactly what it sounds like: therapy that can be accessed over the internet.
It’s extremely easy to find a therapist too, using this form of therapy. They have psychologist directories that match you with your issues. Once I found a therapist, all I had to do was plug in ‘stress’ and I was matched with a counselor who specializes in helping high-strung moms like me deal with stress related issues. On top of the stress, I think I may have developed depression, but time will tell.
I’ve only been with it a couple weeks, but my therapist is very helpful and I’m already noticing a lot of improvements in my home life, and in my relationship with my kids. If you’re a mother suffering through parenting like me, and feel like you have no “me” time, know that there are options available to you. I strongly encourage all mothers to go and seek out help. You only have one way to go: up.
To read more on topics like this, check out the life style category.
