(I posted this question in "Ask the Therapist", too. Maybe someone here can give me some insight as well, since many of you know me quite well. Sorry for the repeat of information on my story)

I am a 35 year old married woman, and have been responsible to a "tee" ever since my mom died when I was 15 and I took over management of the house and the care of my younger brother. As an adult, I quickly developed an excellent career and started my own business at 26. I have also had very good success with real estate investments. I take great strides to remain organized and productive. By all accounts, I have led a responsible and successful adult life and have been happy with my multiple achievements in various aspects of life and career.

One thing I have NOT been good at is achieving balance. My first marriage collapsed because my ex-husband was unhappy with the amount of time I devoted to work. Although fitness and health is very important to me, it often gets pushed onto the back burner as I juggle clients and now grad school. And now, at 35, I find myself overly extended, disappointing others because I can't keep all of my commitments, and even though this year I made a big resolution to balance my life better (hired a life coach and am also focusing on this topic with my therapist), I am more out of balance than before. I feel like I am not giving 100% to anything I do. It feels out of character for me because I used to be able to juggle as many things and still feel that I did a great job. Now I feel like I am doing a half-assed job at too many things.

I recently started taking 10mg/day of Lexapro after my physician expressed his concern about 5 stress-related symptoms I had had visits for, as well as for the pressure I was under taking care of my current husband, who had been severely depressed and unemployed for two years (he's better now). It has been hugely helpful and I feel calm and relaxed for the first time in my life. I never realized that I was feeling anxiety, but I now realize that it was a big motivator for me.

I don't know if the Lexapro is reducing my motivation, but I do think I am slipping in terms of my responsibilities. I think it preceded the Lexapro, to be fair, but I'm now getting a little bit of feedback about it from my teachers, classmates, and colleagues. I also think I'm burned out from working as hard as I had been but I don't know how to break the bad habit. I'd like to find a 'happy medium', and am disappointed that although I made a solid commitment earlier last year to myself to find balance, I am more out of balance than before, and have even taken things to the extreme. I am overextending myself more than I already had been in the habit of doing, but am not doing a good job. This is contrary to everything I was trying to achieve.

What can I do to get myself back on track? I feel like I need an outline of baby steps from someone who completely understands my situation. I am writing this for you, but will also print and bring it to my therapist, because I don't want to let things slide any further than they already have. I own our house and am the financial provider in my relationship, but also would like to have children in the next year or two. I have too many responsibilities to start failing, and I am concerned about the way I have been behaving -- I need to nip this problem in the bud!

Thanks for listening and for any advice you can give,
Lee Ann aka LMo