“I’d wake up, heart racing, and rush to the crib. Once I felt her breathing, I could settle back into sleep. I was angry all the time. Small things made me want to pull my hair out.”
‘What will people think?’ I worried myself to sleep. That little pill held so much shame.’: Mom of 6 shares struggle with anxiety, ‘It’s made me stronger’
‘The pregnancy test read, ‘Yaaaaaaas!’ before I had time to pull up my pants. There I was, knocked up with my post-vasectomy baby.’: Mom hilariously recounts vasectomy fail
“At 40 years old, post-vasectomy, we thought my husband was shootin’ blanks. All I could do was laugh out of shock. Very quickly followed by a much larger part of me saying, ‘Oh…sh*t…’ As I stood up and washed my hands, I was overcome with a feeling of dread.”
‘She’s afraid one day you’ll pack your stuff and leave because you’ve had enough. She worries about you, more than she worries about herself.’: Woman pens thoughtful message to husband about anxiety
“It’s the fear and the thoughts whirling causing her frustrations. And she wishes it didn’t. Every day is an overwhelming experience for her. And she’s afraid she will lose you.”
‘Breathe. Mommy is here. You are safe.’ I hate that he has anxiety. I wish I could take it away from him.’: Special needs mom talks anxiety
“Sometimes it comes from nowhere. He will be perfectly happy and then I look in the car mirror and I see the tears begin to form. Every time we go somewhere different, he is riddled with anxiety.”
‘Thank you, sis, for checking in even when I don’t always check on you back.’: Mom to son with autism says ‘check on your special needs family or friend, they may not know they need it’
“I whined about my stresses over the phone. I cried about how hard life is with a special needs child. I must have sounded so self-absorbed. And then you said, ‘I can’t relate at all, but you’re doing amazing. Don’t feel bad for venting, ever.’ Instantly, my anxiety washed away.”
‘I’m struggling to answer questions from my children about school and sports. I’m struggling to find the light at the end of the tunnel.’: Mom reminds us ‘we don’t have to walk this path alone’
“I’m struggling to make choices that seem unpredictable and scary. I’m struggling with the ‘what if’s’ and the unknowns surrounding the future.”
‘They don’t like you.’ No one wants you there. The unanswered text kills you inside.’: Woman thankful for friends who understand her anxiety, ‘You won’t have to face this alone’
“Anxiety is the time you spend waiting for an answer as a scenario plays out in your mind. It’s apologizing for things that don’t require an ‘I’m sorry.’ When you come across friends who begin to understand, you realize you don’t have to face the battle alone.”
‘I notice the lump in my throat getting bigger. I fight back tears as my sons stare at me wide-eyed. I pray God will help me carry all this weight.’: Mom with anxiety urges ‘life is too short, throw in the towel’
“It’s hard to take care of yourself when you’re always taking care of everyone else. I’m struggling to find the balance between keeping it all together without falling apart and realizing when I need a break. I pray to God to help me carry all this weight.”
‘I woke up screaming. My husband was next to me sleeping. I kept saying to myself, ‘Just do the next thing.’: Mom comes to terms with mental health struggles, ‘This is anxiety’
“The doctor prescribed a liver cleanse. They weren’t listening. I was devastated. I told myself I was lazy. I called another doctor. Together we made a plan.”
‘Chemical imbalances didn’t cease to exist because COVID-19 stole the spotlight.’: Woman battling anxiety disorder reminds us ‘help is out there’
“In fact, quarantine has stripped us of most of the support systems and coping mechanisms we’ve always used to manage our anxiety in the past. And it’s placed us exactly where a person who struggles with anxiety least wants to be – alone with their thoughts.”
