Sometimes there isn't one particular thing that's wrong.
It just feels like everything is too much.
There are the children and what they need. Work. Your relationship. The household. Appointments. Finances. Family responsibilities. Maybe ageing parents who need more from you too. Your children may be at completely different stages, each needing something different, while you're trying to keep everything moving.
You might find yourself constantly thinking about what needs to be done next and struggling to switch your brain off. You're exhausted, more irritable than usual and perhaps snapping at people when you don't want to.
You may feel as though you're simply getting through one day at a time.
And somewhere amongst looking after everyone else, there doesn't seem to be much room left for you.
When you're used to being the one who copes
You may have spent years being the person who manages things. You organise, make decisions, solve problems and take responsibility for what needs to happen.
But eventually, it can become too much.
You might feel responsible for everybody and everybody else's needs. You're constantly making trade-offs, and your own needs are usually the thing that gets pushed aside. You may be saying yes when you really mean no, avoiding difficult conversations or trying to keep control of things because you're not sure what will happen if you don't.
Perhaps you're worried about your child and questioning whether you're handling things in the right way. Your relationship might feel disconnected or strained. Or you may have become so focused on everybody else that you're not even sure what you need anymore.
You can love your family and still feel exhausted by everything you're carrying. You can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely.
“I should be able to handle this myself”
It can be hard to ask for help when you're used to coping.
You might minimise how you're feeling or tell yourself other people have it harder. You might feel guilty spending time or money on yourself when your family needs so much from you.
Maybe you don't even know exactly what's wrong. You just know you don't feel like yourself.
And when you're already overwhelmed, making an appointment can feel like one more thing you need to find time for.
You don't need to wait until you know exactly what you need help with. And you don't need to arrive with everything neatly worked out.
Somewhere to start sorting through it all
When there is a lot happening at once, my role is to help you slow things down and start deciphering what's going on.
That might include what's happening for you personally, how you're feeling as a parent, what's happening with your child or what has changed within your relationship and family.
I'm not here to give you more advice about what you should be doing or to tell you how your life should look. I want you to have somewhere you can talk honestly about how things really feel, without judgement.
We can start making sense of what's happening, look at the patterns that may be keeping you stuck and work out what matters to you and what might need to change.
You don't have to sort everything out at once. Sometimes the first step is simply having somewhere to start.