Have you ever heard the saying, “Change your thinking? Change your life?”

Your thoughts create your reality.

Practice positive thinking.

It is essential to know you have the power to change the thoughts running through your mind.

I understand as a fellow special need; mom, I feel like, at times, I am drowning in my thoughts. The thoughts can consume me every day.

I began to feel just shut down. I do not want to leave the house.

I cancel plans. I just shut myself out to the whole world.

I have no intentions of doing so, but it just happens.

The friendships I once had have disappeared. The feeling of loneliness is overwhelming me.

I began to cry easily. At times I have no idea why.

I am a parent to a child who has special needs and medically complex. I put my needs last.

I hate it at times; my thoughts are always negative. I cannot seem to diminish those negative thoughts that consume my everyday thinking.

I think the worse because it seems everything keeps piling up in my life.

I have a child diagnosed with autism and is nonverbal. He has a diagnosis of Epilepsy as well.

He is medically complex. His doctors always keep telling me something is going on, but we feel it is scarce. We do not have answers yet.

He struggles with aggression that consumes my family.

He has therapies or doctors’ appointments every day.

I always hear people say you need to take time for yourself.

Honestly, I wish I could.

I know I can feel my mental health deteriorate.

Being a special needs mother can suck the life out of you. I hate to put it in that perspective, but it is the truth.

You are always finding the right specialist or therapies and dealing with insurance companies to cover the cost of those expensive therapies.

I am trying to find the proper medication dosages to help your child.

I am dealing with sleepless nights.

Advocating for your child is 24/7.

I know I must continue to find a way to change my thoughts to help change my mind. Our children’s well-being is number one, but our mental health matters as well.

Let us break the stigma that mental health awareness matters. Never feel ashamed if you are dealing with mental health struggles.

Autism is hard. Aggression is hard. Epilepsy is hard. Being a special needs parent is hard. Being a parent is hard.

Introduction:
Emily Ransom is a mother to a beautiful five-year-old boy who has severe autism and epilepsy. Kash is nonverbal. Emily will receive her master's in Special Education with an emphasis on Autism and Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in May 2021. Emily has a blog titled Mama to Kash’s Voice where she shares her son’s journey through autism. Her blogs provide a safe place for families to not feel alone. Emily resides in Indiana with her husband Adam, Kash, and daughter Briella. They have two dogs one being Kash's autism therapy dog. https://www.facebook.com/mamatokashsvoice/ Instagram: @mamatokashsvoice

Website: www.mamatokashsvoice.com