I was struggling for a long time to find happiness and to find any bit of joy. It got to a point where there would be weeks that I would rate them based on the days that I didn't cry or didn't have a crying spell over something. So I'd be like, Oh, this week gets like a two out of seven for the two days I didn't cry.

I was officially diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD

maybe six months ago when I started to have the symptoms. I just had a really hard time concentrating, focusing, and getting things done at work. I think the only reason that I became aware of it was because my family members and friends were noticing it. They just noticed a change in my demeanor and my overall countenance.

It was really hard to be motivated. Overall, I didn't really have a motivation to to get out of bed, so it was really hard to go to church. It was really hard to find the motivation to pray or to read my scriptures because I couldn't even find

the motivation to eat some days, you know.

So I professionally do mental health, and I do mostly trauma work. And so I deal with really difficult things.

And when I noticed that my son was literally disappearing in front of my eyes, I felt this complete sense of helplessness.

Naturally, I feel like a mother will do anything for their child.

But in my case, I feel like there were times where

the help she was trying to provide was actually pushing me away.

And I know that just ate her up.

I think the hardest part for me was that I was trying to rely on my profession and my knowledge to help my child and was leaving out the key element to his healing, which was the Lord.

I instantly began to feel the peace as a mom

that things were going to be okay and that He knew my son personally and that He was going to pull him through this. And my job was just to be a mom, not a therapist.

And that sense of helplessness left. And then I began to see miracles happen.

After a little while of her just being inspired to come to me as a safe space rather than trying to pry, I felt like I could eventually open up to her about everything that I was feeling and going through. It's really just the small things that she was willing to help with eventually helped me feel comfortable enough to come to her with the bigger issues.

I feel like I'd probably still be stuck if it weren't for my mom.

She helped me to see a professional and helped me kind of see

for myself everything that I’ve been dealing with. I think the most important thing I would share with any mother is that they're not alone.

There are other mothers who struggle with similar situations, and words are so powerful, and so a person who struggles with mental health have stories in their heads that are very distorted, and their thinkings are very erred. So

finding the words as a mom that are opposite, such as, “I love you”;

“You’re an incredible child”;

“I love the things that you do and who you represent”;

“I love that you are in my life, and I see the bigger picture of who you can become.” Those words are hopeful. It gives them a different perspective. It takes away those errors of thinking that tells them that they're somehow broken or not good enough or that they're failing in any way.

You can make a difference for your child in just the words you share with them.

When I was at my lowest, the only person I could rely on really to get out of that was God.

I felt a strange sense of peace when I would call to Him.

It was easier for me to find purpose in life when I knew that the Savior cared for me, when I knew that I could rely on Him and go to Him and that He knew exactly what I was going through.

I’m so grateful for my Heavenly Father and His role in my life and His hand in my life.