Special Needs Parenting While Depressed

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It is that time of year for me when the wind goes out of my sails. It feels like I have a wet blanket draped over me and everything takes extra effort to get it done. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and have chronic depression. I have been afflicted with depression since I was a teenager and have had enough episodes that I am on antidepressants pretty much permanently. My last major episode was 9 years ago.
I have to manage my depression so I can take care of my kids. It is a awful struggle sometimes.

image via: http://www.couragetobloom.com/therapy-tools/managing-the-depression-pit

 Of course I always head into winter with plans of how to handle things. It seems as if life always has a way of thwarting those plans. I am overwhelmed by just basic stuff and I have now some extra concerns that have me to the point of just wanting to give up. 

image: http://www.motifake.com/ay-theres-the-rub-shakespeare-hedgehog-hamlet-demotivational-posters-76393.html

That's the rub, when you have special needs kids you can't give up. You may want to, but really you can't. There is always some battle to fight and you have to muster up the resources to meet the challenge. Because if you don't some of the progress you may have gained with your child may be lost. 

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Add to that the every day bumps and you get some pretty grim realities. I am writing now because I am avoiding cleaning up the basement after the sewer backed up on us this weekend. I also have the back yard to rake, the grocery shopping to do before the stores go haywire before Thanksgiving and just maintaining the house. Add to that the news that they plan on disbanding Sensi's school to farm out the teachers to the separate busing zones and you have me on the verge. 

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I can take a little time to freak out, but then I have to get back on course to find out how to get Sensi and Random the things they need to be successful. The problem is it falls to me, if I don't do it, (write the letter, ask the hard questions, do the research, make the appointment,) it won't get done and my kids lose out. 

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So here I am stuck in low gear. I have a calendar to keep track of must do appointments, a Daily List of 3 to get done house-wise and a weekly list of how ever many to take care of school issues. I have my weekly counseling sessions, walking club once or twice a week and have yoga once a week, so I am doing my best to keep my "me" appointments. The Daily List of 3 consists of things like doing laundry, vacuuming and taking out the garbage. That is where I am at, I have to make a list to ensure I keep our house livable, my kids have clean clothes, and the house stocked with food.  So for the next few months I am going to do my best to keep blogging, but it is not at the top of the list, even though it is a "me" activity. 
So even though I have antidepressants, exercise, a SAD light and my friends for support, the wet blanket is still here. Managing my depression is the best I can do until it lifts.



Resources: http://www.couragetobloom.com/therapy-tools/managing-the-depression-pit

Taciturn Tuesday: PACER Center Webinars

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http://www.pacer.org/webinars/archive-listing.asp

It's a Start

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Special education, advocacy and support are what this blog is about.  Being a mom with a girl with an ASD diagnosis  has changed things for me. I have found that being a mom of a child in special education is sometimes lonely.
You may have the love and support of your family and friends, but very few of us really know  from the start what to do to get what your child needs from school and the community.
 The moment of diagnosis changes your path in parenting.  You are now on a different track from your friends and neighbors and will have to find a way to navigate an unfamiliar path through to your child's adulthood. I am not there yet. My daughter just started kindergarten this year. I also have a son who has an IEP for ASD. He is mainstreamed in a 4th grade class now.
I have some experience, but I do not know it all. This is a place where we can share information and support each other. I will be posting various links and information that I have found helpful. My next post will most likely be about iPad apps that have worked for us. I will also post about IEPs, transitions, and what therapies we have had experience with so far.