Left foot, right foot: Major depressive disorder, anxiety, and children!

Self-help articles and therapists like to make coddling your mental disorder(s) the only star of the show. “You first”. “Gotta put on your oxygen mask before assisting others haha”. But what if, say, you were the pilot and your oxygen mask was out of reach? I have to steady the plane before I can reach for my mask. And the plane never steadies.

That’s what having children is like when trying to deal with my own mental disorders and their symptoms.

Did your anxiety keep you up for the 20th night in a row? Did night terrors wake you at 3am leaving you unable to go back to sleep? Are you adrenaline depleted, does your body feel like the weight of the world is sat upon you? Having a touch of the executive dysfunction? Make it happen, cap’n. Get up, get going.

The toddler is still going to be up between 7 and 8 am. 50/50 that the toddler also needs a sheet change, maybe a shower. The pre-teen has to be dragged out of bed by 830 to get to (virtual) school by 9. You have to throw breakfast at them before then, maybe ask the one going to school to look presentable.

“Ew, I hate this” says the preteen about any food that is ever presented.

You’re late… just go to class.

It took every ounce of will to move from the bed after laying half-awake for 3…