Hi nij1982,
Welcome to these forums and thank you so much for posting on here! I also find starting the day very, very difficult. Sometimes it's very hard to get out of bed, and I have to go very gradually, one leg out of bed at a time. Having a routine for when I first get out of bed has really helped me start the day on the right foot - I do some light stretches and squats etc to get the blood flowing, drink heaps of water to rehydrate, and get some fresh air. Have you ever tried morning routine strategies like this?
Geoff has also provided some really useful phone mental health resources - I have called them myself many times and always found them helpful. Have you spoken to a doctor about how you're feeling? They may have some useful advice. They can also help set you up with a psychologist you can see for free, who can help you process feelings of depression and worthlessness.
These feelings (and depression) are very common, and there are some decent strategies available for processing them. Have you heard of things like "cognitive behavioural therapy" or "schema therapy"? I found schema therapy very helpful. Many psychologists are trained in these different therapies.
Five kids sounds very challenging. Do you have a supportive partner, or are you parenting on your own? Are there any other day to day stresses you're dealing with? E.g. housing or work? Feel free to tell us about these if that would be helpful.
Thanks again for posting on here and I hope the coming week is a little easier. Are most of your kids in school? Hopefully things will get a bit easier when they go back to school. 🙂
