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A Mother’s Day Message to My Daughter

It was dry heaving as the morphine took hold. It was seeing this wet, screaming, angry face. It was sobbing while trying to have you latch on. It was listening to your screaming as I tried to soothe you. It was staying with you in the hospital at 5 months old and worrying that I had damaged you in some way. It was being with you in a treatment room at midnight while the doctor inserted a feeding tube through your nose. It was struggling to teach you to drink formula at the same time as teaching you to drink from a bottle. It was hearing you throw up through the baby monitor and then thinking through how to manage the clean up of you and your crib. It was being with you in the hospital at 8 months old and worrying about your weight. It was worrying about you reaching your developmental milestones. It was worrying about strengthening your legs to be able to walk and it was worrying about your feeding therapy. It was laying with you when you had a 102 degree fever. It was holding you tight while you kicked and screamed when you got your flu shot. It was holding you and reassuring you when you got your ears pierced.  It was talking with you while you cried about an incident at school.

These are the times that truly made me and make me a mother. The love and care came at that first second when I took that pregnancy test and saw two lines. The full heart, warmth, joy and excitement are the easy parts of being your mother. It is the hard times, the times that test my very being, will and strength that really make me your mother. You make me feel humbled, proud and speechless. You are my child and I am your mother.

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Deeper Facts of My Depression

Most people have some level of understanding of depressive symptoms: sadness, hopelessness, sleep issues, appetite issues, etc. There is so much more though that people may not realize.

Firstly, the person with depression may not be thinking clearly, for example, a friend told me how hopeful she is that I will feel better soon and my interpretation of that was that she did not actually care about me. One plus one does not always equal two in the mind of someone who is depressed. My cognition is greatly impaired and while I can be aware at times of this impairment, the thoughts and feelings feel very real to me. It leaves me in a constant struggle internally which is heartbreaking and energy consuming. This is on top of those “known” symptoms of hopelessness, helplessness, extreme fatigue, low appetite and feelings and thoughts of worthlessness.

Also, my experience is that there is no rhyme or reason in terms of the severity and timing of symptoms. Yesterday morning I felt okay whereas this morning I woke feeling a lot of anxiety. Each day is different right now which is also exhausting. I have no idea what to expect.

I also need what I call “babysitting.” My husband does not want me to be alone for a long period of time. While I can understand this from his perspective, from mine it simply means I am needy and weak and have to impose on others when my husband is not around. I feel like a child and embarrassed. I do not like to put people out and I do not like changing people’s schedules in order to benefit myself. I realize this may not sound like someone who is grateful to have such wonderful people supporting her but this is how my cognition is currently running.

I also feel as if every slight and every unfortunate life incident is my fault, whether it be dropping and breaking a glass or tripping and falling. My inner monologue: Of course, these are all my fault and if I weren’t so stupid these things would not have happened.

What my friends may not realize is that the quick text checking in or the quick call is so helpful. Even if I am not talkative in that moment, I know they are there and will be there to help in any way they can. This may not be well conveyed by me but I mean it. There are not any grand gestures they need to do. Just knowing they are there is extremely supportive and helpful for me.

This is my life right now, every hour, sometimes I feel it every second. It is relentless and to say it is exhausting is not giving it the power it has. My negative thoughts can be terrifying at times and only adds another layer to this experience that I am fighting with all that I can.

This is hard. This is scary. This is real. This is more of what my depression does to me and my life.

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Stigma Fighters: Anti-High Functioning

http://stigmafighters.com/risa-sugarman-anti-high-functioning/

NIMH News Feed

Read What Life is Like for Someone with Mental Illness. Fight the Stigma, Own Your Reality

The Mighty

Read What Life is Like for Someone with Mental Illness. Fight the Stigma, Own Your Reality

OC87 Recovery Diaries

Read What Life is Like for Someone with Mental Illness. Fight the Stigma, Own Your Reality

Psych Central

Bring Change to Mind

Read What Life is Like for Someone with Mental Illness. Fight the Stigma, Own Your Reality