Need Help - Amelia Court House,VA

Step one: You must take care of yourself, because otherwise you won't be available for your boys.
Step two: get an M.D. to check you out, to rule out any physical problems (like thyroid issues). Tell him/her about your depression and suicidal thoughts and DO NOT LEAVE THE OFFICE without medication and/or a referral to a psychiatrist. I know it's hard but you have to be your own advocate.
Step three: work on your support network. Family, friends, pastor--whoever. You need it.
Step four: ditch the guilt. It's a luxury you cannot afford, and it's also illogical. You didn't ASK for any of this.
Step five: keep looking for counselors until you find a good one. Unfortunately, counseling/social work/psychology is a field full of people who got into this line of work because they flunked out of whatever it was they really wanted to do (brain surgeon or whatever). Good ones are out there but you have to look.
Also: Bowie Youth and Family Services (here in Bowie, obviously) offers free or low-cost therapy for families in crisis. Call Bowie City Hall or go on their website and get the number.

Hi Jenny............Tracy C hit it on the nose. I think she gave you the best advice on the steps to take. God love your son, I bet he is as confused as the rest of your family. You will be okay if you continue counseling for you and the family. I will be thinking of all of you. You are a great mommy! You may question that sometimes, but you are because you have stepped up to the plate and are helping with this crisis.

J.,
Your feelings are VERY understandable! Yes, I feel the same way too and have also had similar situations with counselors thinking I have it all together. I just moved to the area and went from working 1/2 time to staying at home with my wonderful (yet exhausting kids). I am a pediatric occupational therapist with specialty in sensory processing issues & ASD. I can understand how hard working with these children can be at times. There are support networks available. Having just moved here I don't know the local ones, but the Autism Society web pages usually give valuable resources. I personally do not have a child on the autism spectrum, but my 3 year old son had sensory processing issues and my 1 year old daughter is also showing signs. I can say first hand that children with sensory issues can be challenging children. I also know of good book resources for sensory issues. Feel free to e-mail me if you want the resources or if you want to chat. (____@____.com)

I am a psychiatric nurse by profession. I also have been where you are in my personal life. PLEASE find a good psychiatrist and start on medication to help with your depression and anxiety. You are not crazy, etc. You are overwhelemed by the stree inherent in your sitution and who would not be?

A lot of people do not want to take medication for depression because of the stigma that doing so means that they are weak, crazy, etc. Depression is a medical illness caused by a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Taking medciation isn't a magic bullet that will make everything in your life better but it can help YOU feel better and better able to deal with your circumstances.

People who are depressed often think of suicide. However, if you ever find yourself not only thinking of suicide but of planning how to do it, get help IMMEDITATELY. Call 911 (and tell the operator about your state of mind so that 50 cops with guns don't show up (they are trained to help with personal crises) or go to the nearest emergency room. If you find you can't do either of the above because of how bad you feel, call someone to come and help you do the above. Finally, you need to find a good therapist (and it sometimes takes a little shopping around) to see on a weekly basis to work on how to deal with your feelings. Your feelings are real, but your perception of them is distorted because of how bad you feel.
Remember , you are not alone. I am new to this website but if you need to talk (by email? phone?) I'm there for you. Strangely, while I can help others, I need help with my own childrelated problems,guilt, self esteem etc. NAMI (the National Alliance for Mental Illness) has a fantastic website (it's www.nami.org) on which you might find information and resourses for support. Take care of yourself and don't feel guilty about it. Your boys need you.

Jenny, FIRST, PLEASE SEEK SOME HELP IF YOU ARE HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS!!!! It sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now and it is okay to get help to process it all and to learn how to cope! You deserve the help as us Mom's cannot be expected to deal with everything we are faced with on our own:-) Keep loving those boys....they need that from you but as they get help from the counselor work on you too! When you feel better you are better equiped to help your precious sons out! Hang in there Jenny, stay positive....your kids love you and need you so get on the phone now and schedule an immediate appointment w/ your counselor and tell the recptionist how you feel if there are no openings...it is confidential!!!! Take care....Scotties67

Wow, you have a lot of things to deal with. You are doing the right thing by going to counseling and having your son in counseling as well. Family counseling or finding a support group may help too. I am in counseling b/c I left my alcoholic husband and he is CRAZY and there are constant visitation struggles. Even today he refused to return him! I know it is a different situation but it is very tough to deal with problems when you are looking after a little one and SO concerned about them as well. If you have a journal write in it to vent and then let those thoughts go. Absolutely be true to your thoughts because once you can address them you can deal with them. Also, I highly recommend reading the book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne she also has a DVD too. That changed my life and got me headed in the right direction.

Hang in there, you are doing the right things even if you feel totally out of control. Give your son lots of love and help him through this.

This may sound like a simple answer, but its the ONLY solution to complicated matters. Turn to God. Reach out to a local church. Involve your kids in church programs. We can't always find the answers we are looking for, but at least we can find peace.