One of the things that I know a lot of people don't get, is the sheer amount of stress that can go along with special needs parenting.
I'm only speaking for myself I this particular case but I'm sure my words echo that of many others.
One of the biggest issues that I face, while trying to keep that *Lost and Tired *family moving forward, is stress. I'm not talking about stress, I'm talking about *STRESS*. I mean the kind of stress that can't be measured by any traditional scale.
I have had countless doctors and or therapists ask me how I do it. How do I manage to survive in this amount of constant, unending and ever growing amount of stress.
There have been studies done that show a parent raising an autistic child, is under the same amount or level of stress as a combat soldier. Having never been a member of the military, I can't say whether that's accurate or not. What I can say is that as a former fire fighter and paramedic, there are days that I would much rather be running into a burning house.
Maybe that sounds dramatic, but it can truly be so stressful for me at times, that I would rather be doing *anything* else.
The really sad or scary part is that I don't even realize how stressed out I am because this is all I know. Being under this amount of stress and pressure for so long has really desensitized me to what it feels like to be this stressed out. It just feels *normal* to me. I know that sounds weird but it is what it is.
As I'm writing this, I have had one of the worst days that I can remember. I'm still trying to remain positive but after awhile, being positive becomes more and more difficult.
Putting aside, for just a second, all the medical conditions I'm trying to manage, I have no idea how I'm going to keep my family moving forward. It's like, every single day is hidden behind a curtain and I have no idea what I will be facing and the curtain is raised on that particular day.
It could be a new medical crisis, perhaps we'll lose another utility because I can't keep up with all the expenses.
Regardless of whatever comes our way, I have to figure out how to deal with whatever it is. My wife and I are a great team, without her, I might not survive the stress. Failure is never an option, we have to much riding us surviving to fight another.
I have no idea how the single parents do this.
***Thanks for reading***
* -Lost and Tired*
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Posted from WordPress for Android so please forgive any typos as auto-correct and I don't see eye to eye. :-)
