Living with multiple mental health conditions isn’t just hard—it can feel like carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders while trying to keep everything from crashing down. For me, it’s a constant juggling act: managing medications, making it to doctor appointments, showing up for therapy sessions, and still being the mom my daughters need every single day. Some days, it feels like I’m running on empty, but somehow, I keep going.
I’ve been diagnosed with ADD, anxiety, depression, manic bipolar disorder, PTSD, night terrors, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder (DID). Each one brings its own battles, but the truth is, a lot of these conditions didn’t fully surface until after the life-changing event that shook me to my core—the day my daughters didn’t come home.
They were supposed to be gone for just two weeks visiting family, but that turned into months, then years. What was supposed to be temporary became a nightmare I’m still living. I have spent every day since trying to navigate the broken family court system, fighting across state lines—dealing with paperwork, hearings, delays, and legal loopholes—all while being kept from the two people who mean the most to me. It’s a battle that feels impossible at times, and it has triggered so much pain, trauma, and instability that my mind had no choice but to find ways to survive, even when those ways feel out of my control.
Living with DID means there are parts of me that handle what I can’t bear to face—and sometimes that means losing time, forgetting pieces of my life, or feeling like I’m watching it all happen from outside myself. Add that to the daily struggles of anxiety, depression, and manic bipolar disorder, and you can imagine how overwhelming it feels. There are nights I barely sleep because the nightmares won’t let me. There are mornings where getting out of bed feels like climbing a mountain.
And through all of this, I’m still a mom. I’m still working, still pushing forward, still fighting for my daughters. Being a single mom is already one of the toughest jobs in the world, but doing it while battling your own mind—and the legal system—takes strength I never even knew I had.
But here’s what I’ve learned: I’m not alone, and neither are you. If you’re reading this and you’ve felt that crushing weight of loss and mental health struggles, I want you to know there is help out there. Therapy, support groups, medication, even holistic approaches—they all matter. Asking for help isn’t weakness. It’s survival.
I’ve also learned the importance of self-care. I used to think it was selfish—until I realized I can’t fight this battle if I’m completely empty. Even a quiet bath, a walk outside, or a few minutes of meditation can help me find my center again. Some days, self-care is my lifeline.
Building a support system has been another lifesaver. Connecting with other single moms who understand what it feels like to cry in the shower so your kids don’t see your pain has helped me feel less alone. There is power in shared experience.
This journey isn’t easy. It takes patience, resilience, and more self-compassion than I thought possible. But every day, I wake up and choose to keep going—not just for me, but for my daughters. They are my why. And if you’re on a similar path, I want you to know: you are strong, you are capable, and even on the darkest days, you are worthy of peace, joy, and a life that feels good to wake up to.
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