I’m currently 27, almost 28, and have been battling depression and anxiety for most of my life but when I was younger my parents never saw the signs and always chalked it up to me being dramatic and throwing a “pity party”. I have a 5 year old daughter who just started kindergarten last week and next week I’m going to court against my ex husband to hopefully and finally settle out custody battle that’s been going on for 4 years. I am engaged to my boyfriend of 3.5 years but with all these changes going on I’ve been distant with him, not wanting to have sex, not being very affectionate, etc. He gets so upset thinking I’m not happy and wanting to leave when it’s not the case at all. I just didn’t grow up in a family where expressing your feelings was normal or really even accepted. I’ve tired talking to him about it all and it always ends up with him basically telling me that I need to let things go and not stress or worry. HELLO! I CANT JUST NOT DO THOSE THINGS. I get so frustrated with him because everything seems to come so naturally to him and it’s so easy for him to just accept things and go on. I’ve been told in past relationships that I don’t communicate well when I’m stressed out and that I shut down. How can I go about explaining to him that I do love him but I can’t just “get better and move on”?

I am on anxiety medication and have been for a few years only being off when I was pregnant with my daughter. I get anxiety attacks at random times and they are paralyzing. How do I overcome all these road blocks so I can reassure him that I will be fine, I just need time to process everything first.