The hardest part about the pandemic for us mothers is that it took away the little bit of societal support we had.

It took away the grandmas and grandpas for fear that we’d get them sick.

Because our kids still needed to have outdoor playdates.

Because some of our kids are back in school, and we can't risk it.

It took away adult interaction,

coffee runs with other moms that would restore our sanity,

indoor playdates where we’d watch our kids play and chat in the warmth of a home.

It took away the essential interactions where we could talk openly with someone going through the same stuff as us.

Someone who understands how lonely motherhood can get,

how we’re up and down so much at mealtime that it doesn’t seem worth it to sit down,

how we’re always tired and worry about everything.

We’re missing all the people who understand us.

We crave the comfort of another mother or any of our supports.

Playdates were the only time we had to socialize in the chaos of motherhood. Now we’re too busy to keep in touch. We’re constantly battling against the time in the day---and we’re losing.

Because we’re doing something all day long.

We’re full-time workers.

We’re full-time child care providers.

We’re full-time cleaners.

And it’s impossible to be full-time everything and have any time left to ourselves.

And we often find ourselves in tears,

we feel down,

and we question how we can do it all.

Our anxiety has spiked because we worry about our family’s health, finances, injustices of our world, and trying to balance the chaos that’s impossible to balance.

It's no wonder, the day we lost our supports, we kissed our mental health goodbye, too.

So, we really shouldn’t be shocked that we moms are reaching our breaking points.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book "Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder" is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId