Latest news with #teenmom
WebMD
19 hours ago
- Health
- WebMD
Living with Bipolar Disorder as a High-Achieving Woman
When Bipolar Disorder Meets Ambition Living with bipolar disorder isn't just about mood swings: It's about carrying an invisible weight that few people understand. For high-achieving women like me, that weight becomes even heavier. We're expected to hold everything together – family, career, responsibilities – while quietly battling chaos inside our own minds. The burnout that comes with bipolar disorder doesn't announce itself. It creeps in. One day you're pushing through your to-do list, the next you can't move from bed. It's not just exhaustion, it's emotional overload. The Mental Load No One Sees Living with bipolar disorder often feels like swimming in circles in the dark. You crave peace, but when a sliver of light finally appears, you don't trust it. You brace for the next crash. The fear of the unknown becomes just as heavy as the depression itself. When the depressive episodes hit, so do the thoughts: Why am I not like her? What's wrong with me? Did I cause this? I remember wondering if I was being punished for running away from home, for becoming a teen mom, for talking back, for leaving in the middle of the night. Burnout at Every Stage of Life The emotional burnout was always present, but it peaked during life transitions: When I became a teen mom When I went back to school After every child I had When I lost my husband When I tried dating again Each season added more weight. I was living life on edge, constantly trying to avoid pain. But when it finally hit, it hit hard. And it kept me stuck. Postpartum Depression and Family Silence I didn't recognize postpartum depression at first. I just knew I couldn't enjoy my babies the way I wanted to. I felt detached, overwhelmed, and guilty. Years later, I realized my mom had likely experienced the same thing. It opened my eyes to how generational silence keeps us sick. No one in my family knew I was struggling. They saw me tired, maybe reactive, but not in pain. I kept it inside. That silence cost me my peace. What I Missed While I Was Surviving Looking back, I see how much I missed: Real joy in motherhood Emotional connection in relationships Moments of financial peace True rest and presence Smiles that weren't just a mask The True Cost of Emotional Burnout Bipolar disorder is unpredictable. The highs and lows create stress and anxiety about the future. You lose your most valuable resources: time, energy, clarity, even money. And when you're stuck in that cycle, you miss the life happening right in front of you. I didn't know how to feel peace. I didn't know how to be present. I didn't know how to listen to my own voice, my intuition, my feelings. But I do now, and I support other women by helping them master their emotions, overcome burnout, and finally feel the peace and progress they've been chasing.
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I was 18 when I got a negative pregnancy test but 18 years on she's still here & folk can't tell which of us is the mum
A WOMAN has shared how her 'negative' pregnancy test has just turned 18. Jeanice Perez, from the US, took to social media to share her teen mum story as she celebrated her daughter's 18th birthday. 2 However, it seems that viewers were more preoccupied with learning who the mum was in the video as she looked so young. In the clip, Jeanice said: "POV The negative pregnancy test you took when you were 18 turns 18 this year." Jeanice and her daughter can both be seen singing along to a Kesha song and dancing in the kitchen. But the mum's youthful appearance had viewers confused as to who was who. Her daughter, Jordyn, could be seen wearing a beige apron while her mum wore a red vest top and a baseball hat. The stunning duo often shares snippets of their life and how Jeanice went from being a teen mum to parenting a teen. In the past, the mum has hit back at those who claim she 'doesn't dress like a mum.' One comment read: "Her daughter is probably so embarrassed of her. She is a mum and should dress like one." Jeanice showed off her outfit which consisted of a grey mini skirt and red tie-front top. She hit back: "Let's not put women in competitions they didn't sign up to be in." I'm a 65-year-old gran but look so young people think I'm my daughter's twin - they're stunned when they hear the truth The clip was shared on her TikTok account @ jeaniceperez and went viral with over 12 million views. People were quick to take to the comments, many wondering who was who while others were traumatised by her negative pregnancy test story. One person wrote: "I genuinely can not tell who is who." "WHICH ONE IS THE MUM??" penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "So which one is 18?" "Okay. Who is who?' claimed a fifth. Someone else added: 'My 6 negatives turned 11 this year."
WebMD
16-05-2025
- Health
- WebMD
No One Was Coming to Save Me
For years, I thought my emotional highs and lows were just part of life, maybe even part of being human. But over time, I began to realize something wasn't quite right. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner and therapist, I sought therapy to stay balanced. Not just for myself, but for my clients. Yet during my own sessions, I noticed a pattern: I felt like a completely different person depending on the day. Some sessions, I cried uncontrollably and felt emotionally hollow. Other days, I was hopeful, energetic, even impulsive. I'd overspend, take on too much, and react strongly in my relationships. These drastic shifts seemed normal to me because I'd grown up in an environment shaped by mental illness. My mother lived with severe bipolar disorder with psychosis. Because I didn't experience the latter, I assumed I was fine. But deep down, I knew something was off. The Signs I Missed Looking back, the symptoms of bipolar disorder were apparent. As a teenager, I stayed up for days, cleaning obsessively and scrubbing the grit between every tile. I had episodes of dissociation and sudden risky behavior. I snuck out at night and stole my parents' cars. There were legal troubles and hypersexuality. I became a teen mom. But even then, I didn't see these as symptoms. To me, they were survival responses to trauma. I minimized them because that's what I'd learned to do. I often felt trapped, like my own mind was a prison. I remember lying on my closet floor, crying and wondering why no one cared. Not even my own parents. One day, I sat alone in a dark room, overwhelmed by a wave of depression so heavy I could physically feel it. I asked myself a question I hadn't before: Does anyone even know I'm struggling? The truth was that I hadn't told anyone. I hadn't asked for help. That moment changed everything. I realized that I'd been waiting for someone to notice, to save me. But I also realized that no one was coming to save me. I wrote those words down, over and over again. And then I made a decision. If no one else could save me, I'd save myself. Despite helping others professionally, I judged myself harshly. I didn't believe someone like me could live with bipolar disorder. I was high-functioning. I was successful. But that's the myth: that mental illness has a certain look or level of functioning. It doesn't. So I did what I'd told so many of my clients to do: I reached out to a provider. I got help. And that step changed everything. What Getting Help Gave Me Getting a diagnosis and starting treatment not only saved my mental health, it also saved my relationships, my marriage, and my connection with my children. Most importantly, it gave me back my relationship with myself. It taught me that healing isn't about pretending you're OK. It's about being honest enough to ask for support. It's about letting go of shame and embracing the reality that even caregivers, clinicians, and 'high-functioning' people need care, too. Final Thoughts Living with bipolar disorder isn't easy. But it's not a life sentence. It's a manageable condition with the right support. My story is just one example of how reaching out for help can be a turning point. Not a sign of weakness, but one of the bravest choices you can make.
