We Need Help to Start Over – For My Son’s Mental Health and Our Future
I don’t even know how to start this, except to say that I’m writing this as a mom who is scared, exhausted, and holding it together for my kid—barely.
My son is 19. He’s been through more than most people do in a lifetime, and every therapist and doctor who’s worked with him believes he experienced something traumatic that he’s blocked out completely. And it shows. He has been self-harming for years, from his face to his feet. He struggles with overwhelming thoughts, bipolar episodes, impulsivity, and moments where he just wants the pain to stop. He describes it as feeling numb and tired of living in his own head.
I’ve done everything I can to advocate for him. I’ve driven hours to pick him up when he couldn’t stay at his dad’s. I’ve sat with him through ER visits, panic attacks, late-night breakdowns. I’ve tried to keep working, pay bills, and be his one stable person. But the truth is: we’re not okay here.
Every part of me is screaming that we need to get out. We need to move to Maine, where we have family, where I can breathe, where he can start to heal—away from the place that might be tied to the trauma he can’t remember.
I’ve already reached out to our leasing office, and I’ve been applying for jobs nonstop. I’ve told my mom we’re even open to living in a camper temporarily—just to get our footing. I’m not asking for much. Just a chance to breathe, to survive this, and to give my son the peace and safety he’s been fighting for.
If you’re able to help us—financially, by sharing this, or with even a kind message—it means more than you’ll ever know.
💚 Cash App: $jessents
💚 Venmo: @Jessica-entsminger
This isn’t just about relocating. This is about saving my son’s life and giving us a real shot at a better future.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for keeping us going.
