Mary Alice,
Things aren't always easy. I know that the last time I was in the hospital it was hard for me and my T to get the conversations going again like they were normal talks. He even came to the hospital and told me he was going to make a recommendation that I see someone else...They get the feeling that they are not helping you and maybe something is wrong with the way they are trying to help you. If you don't feel comfortable going to group therapy you shouldn't have to. I tried it and the second time I went someone made a comment that they had to get me talking and that was it... I no longer went...Effexor is a good medication if it works for you ... I have been on it for 4 years now... I have also taken one other anti-depressant with it during this time. it's the only thing that hasn't changed in my life in the last 4 years.
I wanted to try and get on here for you this past weekend but I had to go out of town and sit my grandson... I'm so happy things went ok this weekend...you are in my prayers.
Alex will get use to the fact that you have to work and that he will have two days to spend with you...as long as you make them good days with him he will do fine. I use to work a second shift job and my kids were use to having me around all the time at their every call. My daughter was 10 and my son was 8. They adjusted just fine. My daughter learned how to cook from her dad during that time and I would go up to three weeks before I saw my kids at times. It had got that the only time I had time off was when my husband went to sea.