Depressed Working mom

Well, as one working mom to another, things will work out as long as you want them to. I have always kept that attitude in order to keep my spirits high. My faith in a higher being also keeps me on the path that offers me positive actions. I use the principles of truth, order, balance, harmony, justice, propriety and reciprocity. When a situation does not render these principles , I tend to walk away. The walking away keeps me honest to my beliefs and minimizes the friction that occurs when other people wish to give me difference. Loving my son is the other factor to my overcoming anxiety. He is the center of my outward focus. I know that he depends on me to be balanced and I know his growth is based on the harmony I provide for the two of us. I find justice as a way to keep him focused and I show him the reality of injustice in the world around us. By keeping order and truth as my daily means of communication allows me to extend to him no dishonor nor allow others to dishonor my sons mental stability. I learned a while ago that life is not always fair, but my ability to keep myself strong and growing is essential. Peace and blessings to you on this journey. You can do it.

UGH!! I was a working mom too many years and felt like you. I knew it was important for me to be home. I kept having to cut my hours until I finally quit when my 3rd son was born. Even then I kept getting pulled into the family business. I hated that. I have a list I've compiled of non-drug answers for anxiety that other people here have said helped them. Here it is:

1---"I've found David D. Burns' "Feeling Good" and "When Panic Attacks" to be very helpful."

2---"I am working through the anxiety workbook by dr David Carbonell and it has helped immensely!!! "

3---TRE (Trauma releasing exercises) is something you can learn in a class but you don't have to talk about your problems and once you have learned the technique you can use it at home.

4---The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance

By: Matthew McKay PhD, Jeffrey Wood PsyD, Jeffrey Brantley MD

A Clear and Effective Approach to Learning DBT Skills

First developed for treating borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective as treatment for a range of other mental health problems, especially for those characterized by overwhelming emotions. Research shows that DBT can improve your ability to handle distress without losing control and acting destructively. In order to make use of these techniques, you need to build skills in four key areas-distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Source: NewHarbingerPublications

Caution for non-Buddhists: Zen Buddhism inspired aspects of DBT, along with behavioral science and dialectical philosophy. Source: GoodTherapy.com.

5---"A good book that I came across recently is "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, 6th Edition" by Edmund J. Bourne, PhD. You might find this book to be of some help to you, although communicating your thoughts and feelings in a group setting is enormously helpful as well. "

6---For anxiety: Claire Weekes audio books on iTunes.

7---Videos on YouTube by THAT ANXIETY GUY helps with anxiety re: depersonalization/ de-realization states.

8---"Go on the psychology today site and look for a therapist that specializes in anxiety."

9---“ Have you ever listened to Louise Hay on YouTube? Some of the talks help motivate you and hopefully you will feel a positive energy.”

I don't really have any advice for you, but can certainly can commiserate. I just signed up on this forum. I have dealt with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, and I seem to generally "hold it together." I think it's that I have some pretty effective coping strategies that allow me to mask the everyday terror, though I don't know how healthy they are for me long term. (Extreme anxiety makes me pretty good at my job, unfortunately). But I'm having a pretty severe downturn, and I don't know if it's just the cycle of things or what, but it really seems like this is worse. I have the hardest time trying to reconcile being a capable, self-sustaining person (not allowing my fears to control me) with being honest and forgiving of myself (acknowledging my needs and limitations?) I want to be a strong mother, provider for my 4.5yo girl, but I also want to be present and not a crazy person! I don't want to live like this -- every day completely sapped of every ounce, but I don't want to say that I can't do this, either. Ugh. anxiety is the worst.