Available resources to help one complete the task at hand. That would be my definition of support. I am fortunate to have many support systems. My co-workers, my best friend, Starbucks, Google, my planner, but the important support I have is my husband. He is my personal cheerleader, my therapist, my friend and colleague. I don't know what I would do without him. His sage wisdom, his listening ear, his arms that I can fall into when I have had a rough day or someone to laugh and share my greatest joys. He is my friend, and I like him a lot, but more than that. I value him. For the last 21 years his has been my constant support, or as Meredith Grey would say, "He is my person" and I don't know if I could do life without him.
I have just recently, within the last month started seeing a therapist. That might seem like a strange thing to admit, at least for me. I have always been the person that others could come to for support, but in October life began to get the best of me. I was not going through a particular rough time, but I knew where I was mentally, I needed help. I was not suicidal, but I was battling anxiety attacks, lack of sleep, could loss of focus and depression. My life had significantly change since COVID. I made the decision, a hard decision, to seek the help of a therapist. I needed a safe place to be able to discuss what I was feeling and going through, without feeling like a burden or a source of worriment for my family.
My therapist is teaching strategies to cope with daily stresses it has not been easy but I am making the best of it. Life for me has changed.
However, when I think about children that may be facing these same challenges and can not identify that something is wrong, or even how to ask for help. What is our responsibility to the child and their families. We are to try everything that we know to be possible to get assistances for that child. If were a child with an emotional disorder if feel that I would need a few supports in place. My caregivers would have to be trained with calm down strategies and additional supports for the classroom. I would probably need a therapist to assist my in identifying and coping with my emotions. Parents who are understanding and supportive and lastly peer supports.
