Overwhelmed Mothers

As the mother of a child with special needs, Kim, an audience member, says she's always tried to do everything herself—watch the kids during the day and work until 6 a.m. Time for sleep was nowhere to be found.

Having a child with special needs is difficult, and according to Kim, has caused stress in her marriage. "I would reach out to other mothers, who I feel I could be vulnerable with, and I could let my guard down," she says. "If it was related to the special needs, they would flee the scene. It was [as] if I had three heads, and they couldn't handle it."

As a result of the rejection she felt from other mothers, Kim says she started internalizing her emotions. She says sleep deprivation, stress and feelings of rejection caused her to feel overwhelmed. "Over time, your cup gets so full," she says. "I had just reached the brink of hopelessness of feeling the lack of control to turn things around, and my mind just flooded and I completely shut down."

As a result, Kim says she overdosed on anxiety medication and ended up in the emergency room.