I’ve said this before, but it warrants repeating. Being an Autism and Special Needs parent is not easy. I can’t honestly see how anyone could claim otherwise. Maybe they’re stronger than me or a better human than me. Either way, my life is an endless string of challenges, and while I do my best, I almost always fall short.

It’s always a struggle.

I was talking with someone the other day about some of the current challenges I’m facing, and it was hard to put things into perspective for them. That’s not their fault and understanding something you’ve not personally been through is hard for anyone.

The reality is, it’s very difficult to explain the complexity of the Autism and Special Needs parenting struggle to someone who isn’t an Autism or Special Needs parent. It’s really hard to find the words that accurately portray the emotions I’m feeling about situations that can be incredibly difficult to cope with. If I were having the same conversation with a fellow Autism and/or Special Needs parent, I wouldn’t have to find the elusive words to explain because they would already understand.

I’m struggling a bit right now because I can’t seem to strike a better balance in our lives. Some of my kids need/want my constant attention, and it’s challenging for me to find ways of devoting enough time/energy to anyone or anything in my life.

Quickly becoming overwhelmed is often my default setting, and when that happens, I have a hard time focusing on anything. I know Depression plays a role in this as well, but it’s not the root cause. Depression makes a bad situation worse, but the situation was already bad, to begin with.