From Our Forum a Reader Asks:
Any homeschool moms who have suffered from depression or any other mental illness? How do you deal with it with your busy schedule homeschooling? I suffer from OCD & panic attacks. I was just wondering if any of you have been through this kind of thing & how you managed to stay focused & on top of your homeschooling duties?
Well I don’t know if you will accept my opinion. I was home schooled from 6th grade until I graduated. At the same time, I was a tutor of sorts for my little brothers and sisters. My mom has OCD and frequent panic attacks, even to this day. My mom has suffered from post partem depression for going on 25 years.
I don’t think they are related to home schooling. Your reason behind home schooling might be important. My mom, who hates children, did it because my dad was worried about the lack of God in the education system. My mom would just watch soap operas all day, cry, and let us pretty much teach ourselves. Home schooling didn’t make my mom this way. She was already like this, but home schooling pushed her over the edge.
She would take weekend vacations every once in a while. Maybe that will help. Find a babysitter and just drive or go to the beach or something.
Good luck.
I was diagnosed with Bi-polar about 8 yrs ago although that changed the original diagnoses of Manic Depressive/Panic Attacks/Stress/Insomnia & Sleepwalking ( when I can actually get a good nights sleep) done in 1992 after the birth of my first child.
I had suffered for years before that ( starting at about age 5).
There is a delicate balance between my mental health & homeschooling . I have not taken meds for the last 8 yrs unless they are homeopathic and I have things posted all over the house to remind myself that I am capable and so forth.
My children were originally in public school, but my daughter was constantly sick and then diagnosed with ALL ( Acute Lymphoblastic Lukemia) and that along with her other medical issues were the reason I started homeschooling her ( my sons middle school was drug infested which was just sad).
It’s a fine line and a balancing act even on the best of days, but we are doing well and my daughter is now far past her peers, while my son who returned to public graduates in Jan earlier than normal ( he’s that far ahead).
It happens from time to time. If you have medical issues, you should do two things :
1. Get treatment and take your meds, if required
2. Focus on WHY you decided to home school in the first place.
Homeschooling is really the best choice, and it’s so much easier now than it was for people even 10 years ago.
People will argue about that, but these articles give good reasons in favor of homeschool:http://envisionliberty.weebly.com/1/post…http://envisionliberty.weebly.com/1/post…
I have a close friend that suffers OCD, panic attacks and is Bipolar. Luckily her parents and husband are very supportive. Her mother takes the kids when needed and her husband works from home a couple of days a week.
Home Schooling is also nice since you got to always see your kids…;