Being a stay-at-home mom comes with all kinds of expectations. Whether you’re home with the kids or getting them to school every day, there’s a constant influx of work that needs to get done. A tide of never-ending laundry, the churn of dirty dishes; meal prep, planning, and coordinating schedules. On top of that, stay-at-home mom’s are expected to put on a happy face even when they aren’t feeling it.
A situation where this is especially common is when someone is going through a divorce. Even when the marriage wasn’t making them happy, the aftermath was a result of a lot of emotions bubbling up to the surface. This is completely normal and can almost be expected when dealing with a divorce. But, is it normal to have a grief response? Actually, yes it is.
In contrast to the normal grieving process, complicated grief is both intense and long-lasting. It persists for months or even years, churning under the surface. Think of it as quicksand—the longer you struggle, the deeper you sink—but even if you try to remain still, you’re still stuck in place.
When we think of depression we often picture someone in a dark room, struggling to get up in the morning or take care of themselves. Depression is like a massive weight sitting on someone’s shoulders making even mundane tasks feel impossible to take care of.
