The Reality Of Being A Parent With Anxiety

Jan 19, 2019 by apost team

Parenting is difficult enough as it is. But when it's combined with anxiety, it can be an especially demanding task. Being a parent is a full-time job, but so is having anxiety. If you dream of becoming a parent, having anxiety should not stop you, but there are things you need to be aware of.

Those who don't have anxiety tend to misunderstand exactly what it is and why it's so difficult to experience. Some will try to compare their isolated moments of feeling nervous to your anxiety. Others will try to assist you by trying to convince you that this is something you can just snap out of.

This might be presented with the intention of helping you, but it's grossly unhelpful. Anxiety can also grow in intensity when you become a parent and new worries arise. Just as you're getting used to one type of anxiety, several more barrage you.

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Denial is a desirable solution to anxiety. But if it was as easy as telling yourself that you don't have anxiety, not many people would have anxiety. The more you try to push against your mounting anxiety, the more dangerous it can be when it reaches its breaking point.

Anxiety is something that you can treat, through means like medication and psychotherapy, but it's not something you can just will away. Accepting your anxiety doesn't mean that you become resigned to an unhappy life. It means you understand that this particular difficulty is part of your life and that you will do your best to work through it.

Part of being a parent means showing you can take care of another person. Those with anxiety have trouble believing they can even take care of themselves. Everyone makes mistakes, but making a mistake can feel like having your world collapse when you have anxiety.

Judgment from other parents can seem to be never-ending, and you can feel like you need the approval of others in order to make any kind of decision. Parents develop their own intuition over time. When you have anxiety, it can be a challenge to believe in this intuition, even if everything about it is perfectly logical.

Having anxiety is like having a cold that never goes away and that no one can see. It can also come with intense hurt, mentally and physically. Anxiety can emerge in the form of stomachaches and headaches. This can be taxing in a way that makes it difficult to perform your duties as a parent. As much as you might want to take a breather, the number of responsibilities you have can make it hard to take even a five-minute break.

People with anxiety will scrutinize themselves to a severely unhealthy degree. They can spend so much time dwelling on shortcomings or challenges that they can completely ignore how much progress they've made on other fronts. If you've been able to parent a child who is healthy and happy, you have shown that you are a worthwhile parent. The more you believe in yourself, the more you can defy your anxiety.

Having anxiety as a parent can be a challenge, but it's a challenge you can face. Are you a parent with anxiety? How has it affected you? Be sure to show this to any friends or family members who are parents with anxiety.