You declined another social bonding session not because you actually do have an appointment, but because you are left with no more give.

You’re afraid others don’t get it.

They’d surely shudder to know how sloth-like you’d become behind the scenes, so you choose the whole ‘'appointment’ thing. And come to think of it, such and such did have a slight sniffle this morning so it’s not a total lie, your appointment is just at home resting because your child needs it. But you don’t explain that part. It all feel like too much.

If you are a doting parent of ‘mini-me’s’ you’ll already know that the word fatigue seems like a ridiculous understatement.

That’s particularly the case if there’s been underlying health issues prior to pregnancy or even something that has started up later on out of the blue and unfortunately is there to stay. Like thyroid issues or the sudden onset of S.A.D which you find out happens to be inherited along the women’s side of the family. Great. What now?

[Never heard of it? Well, you must be happy all the time….Kidding.]

It could be a number of different case scenarios, but what is ultimately clear is the utter exhaustion you experience over feeling, well, exhausted!

You feel like a shell of you and find yourself lamenting the days when plans were optimistically arranged. You woke up early to take that early morning walk, you were available for others but also for you. Now? You hardly recognize yourself.

Fast forward 15 years and where has time got to?

There’s still the responsibilities you struggle to bear climbing Mt Everest - being available to your offspring 24/7 - because through no fault of your own you decided to home school on top of it all while having to move house not once, but twice in the last 3 years.

You would still love to have your own place where landlords don’t actually want to sell-up or move in themselves now you’ve made the place look a million bucks with gradual gardening love and professionally installed sprinkler systems to boot.

The homeowner’s market for you has stayed like a forbidden road.

At one time you considered living from a caravan park, there being many others who had to, including those who have lived from their cars. Whoever said saving on just a pension was possible must have been bribed.

Feelings of being overwhelmed, struggling to cope and running on empty are common when all you see are endless demands and responsibilities.

So, take a holiday, right? Wrong.

People once dealt with job displacement in favor of younger individuals who could work the same hours for less. Now the same age group is threatened over long-term job security by the fast development of automated Artificial Intelligence. And for those who have struggled to begin with in finding suitable employment because of health challenges, it is so much harder again. These people don’t get to just holiday.

There is growing concern over viable options as parents are left wondering what the future might really look like for the next generation. True, that question is always something good parents think about, but times have seriously changed.

Example: Let’s take the parent living in the car scenario.

The father is battling depression over the recent death of his wife.

Already we have:

While advancements in the health and education sectors are noted, we see increasing homelessness and lack of much needed supportive resources.

In light of just these few things in our example, there remain questions about what the rapidly changing world scene actually means for the poor everywhere.

You may have heard of the term ‘Survival of the Fittest.’

In context of everything around us that continues to leap forward without pausing, it’s perhaps better described as survival of the richest. Yet some wonder is that even the correct answer anymore. Our world of super enhanced robotics looks to make work in the near future optional.

Celebrities like Tom Hanks for instance believe in values that transcend wealth and fame. He has not tried to hide his preference for simplicity, placing emphasis on hard work, gratitude and the love of family.

Have a think about other ideas yourself.

Remember, even when life feels really bad, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel IF we believe it first and do our best to help ourselves too.

This is not to say it is a simple pull the rabbit out of the hat trick and Wham! Everything’s hunky dory.

Of course it isn’t like that. But what it means is learning to think differently.

It is a determined decision to work for change despite obstacles.

Again, if you are grieving, suffering from depression/anxiety and cannot emotionally or physically climb above the dark waters, then you must seek specific professional support and guidance put in place to help people who are experiencing ongoing and chronic emotional distress.

Tell somebody, even a trusted neighbor.

Other areas to consider may be a combination of your local Griefline, G.P, Salvation Army, Compassionate Friends Support for the Bereaved line, support groups, hospice organizations etc. depending on your needs.