Our Stories

Beth’s Story of Life After Losing Her Mom , Age: 18

What have you struggled with? When did it become too much?

My mom died when I was 17. My parents became preoccupied with her illness for the year prior to her death. I had to become very independent and mature at a very young age. My sister, who was my best friend, was away at school leaving me alone in the chaos. I have struggled with anxiety for a while and balancing work and school constantly triggered breakdowns. I felt like I had to be strong at school, pretending that I was happy and my life was fine. After my mom died and I could no longer conceal my family’s problems I did not know how to handle my emotions or the people that wanted to help. My family has issues with discussing their emotions and problems and this can be difficult to handle at times.

What kind of support did you get at first? Did it work?

I have a very strong relationship with my therapist. She is probably one of the only people that I can fully talk about my emotions to. She knows all of my secrets and understands my insecurities. She has helped me come to terms with my feelings and be able to discuss them. She often helps me through my problems and can aid me in staying on track with my life even when it is very hard to deal with.

Were there any turning points where things really started to change for the better?

This year I made really amazing friends. They have been incredibly supportive of everything that I have gone through. They constantly listen to me when I just need to talk and relieve stress. They are understanding and compassionate and often talk me through my moments and family issues. They have definitely been a high moment in my life and I am so grateful for meeting them.

What’s your life like now? What have you been able to accomplish, and what are you working towards?

My sister is my best friend and is always there for me. We go through everything together. I often use my family as my support system. I am heading to college in the fall and am very excited to begin my life. I have 3 jobs at the moment and love to keeping busy. I am a nanny for 2 adorable little boys, I work in my church nursery on Sundays and I work at a retail store in Westport. I know my mom would be proud of everything that I have accomplished and how hard I work on a daily basis.

What would you say to people who are having a tough time? What’s helped you that you wish you had known earlier

It will get better. No matter how hard life is at the moment it will get better. Always make sure that you are doing everything you can to make yourself happy and find things in life that you are passionate about. It is the things in life that you cannot control that make you stronger. Learn from your experiences and always try to be the best person you can be.