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Rock bottom

kv22Casual Contributor25 Feb 2018, 10:40 am AEDT

Rock bottom

I have been struggling for a long time, and now it's all come to a head. My partner and I are separating, probably largely due to my issues, and I literally have no idea how I'm going to get through this. Part of the reason I've been struggling so much is because I constantly feel overwhelmed and like I never get enough rest to be a normal, healthy human being, and now I have even more to deal with. We have a three-year-old son and he's my priority, but how am I going to be a good parent to him if I can barely get out of bed?

The bottom line is that I just have to. I have to do what needs to be done. Somehow.

On top of everything else, I don't have much of a support network. I don't have any close friends, and no one I can talk to about any of this. I feel so incredibly alone. My partner was always the one person I had to lean on but too much has gone wrong over the last four years, most of it out of our control, and our relationship can't take the strain anymore. I'm not sure many relationships would survive what we've been through. We're both battling to keep our heads above water and that makes it very hard to look after each other.

I'm dreading this week. The prospect of taking my son to activities and having to pretend I'm OK is horrible and it's making me feel sick. I just want to hide.

2 replies

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In response to: Rock bottom

frogSenior Contributor25 Feb 2018, 5:09 pm AEDT

Re: Rock bottom

Hello @kv22

I'm sorry to hear how overwhelmed and exhausted you are.

The forum is a good place to come when you're feeling alone. I've found the people here accepting and non-judgmental. Also, there's always people around who've been through similarly difficult experiences.

I went through a very difficult separation over 4 years ago. For a long time my only support network was medical professionals (GP, psychologist, psychiatrist) as I have Bipolar 1, which complicates everything to say the least. It's taken me a long time to reach out to other people.

It sounds like you are really struggling. Do you have a good GP? That could be a good place to start, particularly since you are needing more rest, and struggling to get out of bed.

Your son needs you and I understand that he's your priority. I have a couple of kids, though they are older, and now it's just me and them.

Try and prioritize your own self care as well. I will tag you in another thread where you can introduce yourself and hopefully meet some more people on the forum. Thinking of you.

In response to: Re: Rock bottom

Unknown userMember26 Feb 2018, 5:26 pm AEDT

Re: Rock bottom

Hi @kv22

I’m sorry to hear how difficult things are right now. It sounds like you are a very loving parent. Looking after a young child can be wonderful but also incredibly exhausting – as @frog says it is also really important to prioritise your own self-care. Do you have any professional support at the moment?

It can be so hard to face the world when it feels like everything is falling apart. Sometimes the dread can be the worst bit – I hope it gets easier as the week goes on.

There are other parents here on the forums; and members who have been through the difficult process of separating from a partner. You might like to read some of their experiences at the below links, or add your own thoughts:

Post-partum depression

Processing long term relationship break up while dealing with my own mental illness

Single parents

There are also a few social chats where you can say good morning, introduce yourself or share your thoughts on craft, cats, dogs or whatever interests you. You can find them here in Social Spaces.

Wishing you all the best @kv22 and please feel free to keep posting - there is always someone here to listen

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