When my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer the stress triggered an early menopause, I was already caring for a life-limited daughter who had been born prematurely nearly 10 years previously, she was already under the hospital palliative team (thread)
The complexity of her care meant I was essentially a high-dependency nurse. I had no career, caring was my full time role. My husband died a year after diagnosis and then 13 months later my daughter lay in PICU and I had to make the decision to remove life support.
Our family of 6 became 4. Oh, did I mention that my boys both have a diagnosis of high-functioning autism? I was exhausted..grief, menopause, caring...it was draining me but I kept going until a silly car accident shook me up. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I realised that I was
masking; anxiety, stress.. everyone commented on how well I was coping but inside I was screaming for help and I didn't even know it. I started psychotherapy a year ago and began to unpeel the defences and deal with everything that had happened. I'm slowly healing, the decision
to start therapy was the hardest and bravest thing I have ever done. There have been tears, laughter, anger and shock, it's going to be a long haul but I'm in a better place now. On #WorldMentalHealthDay please know, it's OK to not be OK, it's OK to ask for help. Thank You.
