Another Original By Me

So much pain, yet trying to be strong,
All the heartache that we carry along. 
Fighting the temptation to just let go,
A feeling that many will never know.
Wanting to sleep, wanting to drown,
Pulling yourself up just to fall down.
Trying to wake up and live everyday,
Fighting to survive when you don’t wanna stay.
So many feel this way and I can see you,
I’ve been fighting this war since 1992.
It’s a battle for sure because of where you have been,
It’s  a struggle No doubt, but  one you can win.
No one is perfect and healing will take time,
The mountain of pain has a long path to climb.
When we get to the top our eyes will finally see,
That the pain we have felt is what now sets us free.

Original
By me
Right now
Xoxo
All of you
❤️

It feels as though I’m fighting against a current, one that is so much stronger than me.

There are no life preservers, the winds will not die down, I can slowly feel myself slipping under, swallowing water, I thrash, I’m starting to drown.

I’ve battled the same beasts, the same evil monsters my entire life,

Their outside appearance has been a bit different, yet their insides have always been alike.

Battling with my mind, secretly fighting all that they are, trying to protect the ones I love from obtaining anymore scars.

The demons that reside within them are some of the worst I’ve seen by far, they keep them hidden under a cloak, this way NO ONE really knows who they are.

The ones that suffer the most, when he unleashes his toxic fumes, it’s myself and our own children, our mental health he continues to consume.

There’s one thing as tricky as him, that weighs you down like a blanket of cinder blocks. Rage is not the only black cloud over his head, There is Something else he will never escape.

It’s sticky, heavy and as dark as tar, it’s covered his heart and made him turn sour. It’s consumed him from the time he was a child, and this is what we call HATE.

Shannon Lynn Anderson (Barker)

I Am Better Without You #1

In order to be a mother you have to possess certain qualities. You have to be understanding, compassionate, nurturing, and be your child’s biggest cheerleader in life. Just because you open your legs and give birth doesn’t make you a mother. She gave birth to me but was in no way a mother.

I was her modern day Cinderella, it was a name even my great aunt had given me.I couldn’t breath for 5 minutes without her yelling my name. I was born to be her personal servant. I hated my life, waking up was pure hell. But, there was nowhere else I could go.

She put that fear in me from the time I was a little girl. If I didn’t do something she wanted or perhaps I did something she didn’t like she used any emotional abuse she could. My mom loved to see me beg and cry. One of her favorite ways to emotionally torture me was to pretend like she was calling children services. She would tell them to come pick me up, that she was done with me and didn’t want me living there anymore. That I didn’t listen and she just couldn’t handle me anymore.

I would cry and beg for her not to make me go. She would tell me to go pack my bags that they were on the way to pick me up. I would say, “No please I love you I’m sorry! I promise I’ll be good, please I’ll do anything you want.”. She will continue antagonizing me just enjoying seeing me cry and beg. She would list all the ridiculous reasons she was tired of me. Looking back I realized just how sick and mentally messed up she was as a person, because the things that she did to me no normal person would do.

I would be forced to sit on her back and brush her hair until she fell asleep on the couch. I hated doing it, but I knew if I didn’t the emotional and mental abuse would start. So I would sit and brush and brush, and as soon as I heard her snore I would try to sneak away. I would slowly try to stand up and slide off her back and on to the floor. Sometimes I was lucky enough to get away, other times she would immediately wake up and say “Where are you going, I’m not asleep yet.”. I hated it, I wished someone else was my mother.

I was forced to make her bath water, I would have to go upstairs run the water and let her know when it was halfway full. Then I would have to sit on the stairs outside of the bathroom and talk to her until she was done with her bath. Most times I would have to run back downstairs and get her a towel from the dryer, God forbid she even made sure she had one. Then again I was the one that had to do all the laundry.

Then there were the days where I had to clean her feet. I had to bring out a bucket of hot water while she soaked her callous crusted feet. I would then have to take a butter knife and scrape all the dead skin off her heels, cut her toenails and clean the bucket out. The sad thing is I had to pretend like I wanted to do it for her, because if I didn’t I would be verbally and emotionally abused. Then the threats of children’s services would start.

This was from the time I was a child until I was a teenager. It was the most disgusting normalcy anyone could have. And it doesn’t even stop here. These are the little things that were done, I haven’t even gotten to the major.

From being hung over a banister, thrown outside with no shoes or coat in the middle of winter, and left in the middle of the woods in Pennsylvania, there are so many more TRUE stories that I will be telling.

What I find a little comical, is the fact that she likes to deny everything. She tells everybody that I’m mentally ill and I make up these lies about her. Sad thing is, I seen her abuse my younger sister too. We have about 19 years in between us, many times I just wanted to pick her up and run. Wishing I could save her from the torture that I experienced.

For now, just as I did at that age, she continues to deny and cover for our mother. But in time, she too will speak the truth. She will realize that her emotional trauma is caused by an abusive narcissistic mother just as I have. And she will no longer be afraid.

Shannon ❤️

2023

The last few years have been emotionally paralyzing for me. But these past 5 months I think have been the hardest financially.

My depression has been at an all-time high. If you suffer from this empty dark hole of nothing, you know as well as I, that we can’t choose to fill it up and leave it behind.

If only this disease would evaporate when I take these pills. If the gloom was as easy as flipping on a light switch and illuminating everything immediately.

If I could look in the mirror and actually see myself and not the face of someone I don’t recognize anymore.

It’s so easy for someone that doesn’t suffer with severe depression to tell you what you should be doing. Give you their opinion on what will pull you out of this debilitating disease. Clear this brain fog that they know nothing about.

I mean really, when someone has the flu head stuck in the toilet, barfing their guts out do you tell them to just close their mouth and hold it in? When someone has a severe allergy and has a reaction to something that can kill them, do you sit there and say ” Just go lay down breathe in and out it’ll pass”.

No, because clearly you can see that they are sick. You can see the physical effects of this allergic reaction, you can see the thermometer that shows how high of a fever one may have.

Those of us with depression, we don’t always have outside visible signs. Everything is internal, scrambling our brains like fried eggs and then slithering down through our body like a hungry snake.

It’s an emotional, mental and physical disease that we can’t explain with words. We can’t physically show you most of the time. We don’t CHOOSE to just lay around in bed all day, or for weeks at a time. Because that sounds like a good time, don’t it 🙄.

We don’t wake up in the morning and say to ourselves, ” Hey I think I won’t brush my hair for the next two weeks and while I’m at it shit I don’t feel like changing my clothes for days either!”. We don’t choose this, we don’t WANT to be this way.

Believe me, those of us that suffer from this crappy invisible disease would much rather not have it. We would love to wake up in the morning and feel what most consider normal. Feel alive and energized and ready to start the day. Unfortunately for most of us, we’re not going to feel any better until spring. 😩

We have to keep rowing, row through all the twists, turns and rapid Waters of this stream we call life. We have to hang on to whatever life preservers are available, just in case our canoe starts to go under. We have to reach and grasp at any branch when our kayak begins to tip. We have to FIGHT every waking minute of our lives to stay afloat. We fight the current as it tries to rip us away. Those like us are the strongest fighters in my eyes. Unfortunately even the strongest swimmers can drown.

Before you open your mouth, and say something you may regret. Before you speak to someone with ANY type of Mental Health Illness, read some of my posts and maybe you’ll think twice before you speak. JS

Thanks for reading.

And if you would like to help support my work, I will be opening a shop soon on eBay. Crazy creations completely made by me!

Shannon ❤️

Could I have a lobotomy please? 4@ Thoughts

That’s how I’m feeling anymore. Or maybe they could just install a shut off button. My button needs placed at the “Hey Stupid it’s time to walk away he just keeps mistreating you” section of my head.

So, if anyone from the government is out there reading this, could you please make it happen? I’ll gladly be the guinea pig, anything is better than dealing with this S#++

Nothing is worse than pouring your life, love and trust into a relationship with nothing in return.  If you take anything from this post take this, if they start out as emotionally unavailable just go.

Almost two decades of my life, freely given to someone that has absolutely no empathy for me. Most likely, he has never loved me either. I guess when I commit to something I commit. Even when it hurts me, and has emotionally DESTROYED me. Not sure if that’s really a good thing, actually…I know it’s not.

Is it low self-esteem? I’m not sure to be honest. More than likely it’s from growing up feeling not wanted and unloved. For that has caused a cyclone of abuse that hasn’t died down. Its like sticky thistles stuck to your favorite socks. You think you’ve plucked them off only to find more. And sometimes they are REALLY stuck on there. You have two options, keep the socks with the thistles poking your ankles, or you throw them away. If you toss them you won’t feel the prickling pain anymore.

🤔 I think I just answered my own question about what I need to do in my life. How about that 😂 I always have great advice, unfortunately I never take it. I think I shall start!

I guess this is goodnight and good morning friends. Hope your Sunday is bright and beautiful ❤️

Shannon

Disposable Child

Throughout my life you’ve always been in and out,
Constantly creating this shadow of doubt.
As a child I would wait for you to appear,
Thinking maybe this time you’d remember me here.
As the sun goes down and continues to fade,
The sky dims a bit and turns a cool grey.
I’ve waited and waited ever so patiently,
As time ticked on, I knew you forgot me.
Back into the house, that I wish I had left,
Wishing I was gone, I then take a deep breath.
She looks at me coldly and then starts to say,
“I told you he’d forget you like every other day.”.
“He’s not going to come, he just doesn’t care”,
“Your not that important, you’re not even there.”.
“He has a new girlfriend and a six-pack of beer”,
“What makes you even think he would want you near?”.
So I drag my bags back inside the house,
With tears down my face, yet quiet as a mouse.
Why didn’t he come? What did I do wrong?
Maybe she’s right he didn’t care all along.
Was I not wanted and just in his way,
Did he even know that I waited all day?
If he wanted to get me he would have been here,
Was I really replaced with a six-pack of beer?
So as night falls I now climb into bed,
With visions of daddy stuck in my head.
Hoping one day that you’ll clearly see,
You never hurt her you only hurt me.

September 11th, 2018

An Original Poem By Myself

Shannon Anderson

I Will Always Protect You

Charitable Donation

The support everyone gives me is greatly appreciated. If you would like to contribute so I can continue sharing my life story's and one day have a book published I would be grateful. No matter how you support me I THANK YOU Shannon

$1.00

When I look into each one of my children’s eyes, the first feeling I Feel is love. As a mother it is my job to protect them, and to the best of my ability. To always let them know how special each one is. That they are smart, funny and worth everything life has to offer them. Always making sure they know that they are perfect just the way they are. Reminding them often that they each have individual talents that fit them perfectly. After all, isn’t this what a mother should do. Love each child unconditionally for who they are. Build up self-esteem and confidence. Preparing them for the world so they can thrive.

Unfortunately for me, I never had that as a child. My mother always made a point to let me know that I was “nothing special” she would do her best to make me feel inferior, less than, and worthless. My father didn’t want me, almost everything I did was wrong, pissed her off and was cause for an ass beating with or without the mental abuse session.  This is just one of the many times I was abused.

I was around seven or eight years old. The age is hard to recall but what happened most definitely isn’t. My mother was in one of her moods. She couldn’t find what she needed and that ment I needed to find it and fast. If I didn’t I would face her rath. It always seemed to be a bill she has misplaced. I would scurry around looking for it, my heart would race I could feel my cheeks warming up, that same sensation you get before throwing up. The louder she got the faster my heart would beat, my breathing would get faster.  “I can’t find it.” I would say. “Well you better find it now!” she replied.

I didn’t move it for shits sake im a child, I never touched the bills. The most I did was get the mail everyday because I was told to. So, the bill can’t be found she then yells at me “What are you fucking stupid, I didn’t move it so where did it go Shannon!”.

I say, “I don’t know I cant find it.” Her temper escalates. She gets so mad that she begins hitting me in the back, over, over and over again. I crouch down into my normal position, holding my head bending into my knees. I am crying like always. And not because it hurts, I am use to the physical pain, but because I don’t know why she hates me so much.  After my traditional beating the mental abuse continued.  My mom would say how she couldn’t put up with me, I always caused her problems. Why does she always have to end up hitting me in order for me to listen. The whole time all I am doing is saying how sorry I am and crying. The funny thing is she never slapped me, her physical punishment was a closed fist to the back ALWAYS.

This time I open my mouth without thinking and I scream, “I hate it here! I want to live with my dad!”. Well that was something she didn’t want to hear. “You wanna live with your dad so much, go pack your shit and go. Heres the phone call him! He don’t want you. He don’t even get you on visitation!” I sat there crying in shock that I just blurted that out. I knew it would make her fume like volcano. “You wanna go?” she said. “let’s go heres trash bags pack your shit and get out.”. She then continued. “NO I don’t wanna go I didn’t mean it.” I cries. She continued yelling, “No you wanna fuckin go, you’re going I don’t need to put up with this shit. It will be better on me if your gone. You cause me stress all the time. Pack your shit your gone.” as I am crying uncontrollably I start to pack my cloths in a trash bag. That’s all I was allowed to pack. She made the point to let me know she didn’t even have to let me take my clothes because she bought them. She could choose to send me with nothing, the same way I came into the world.

After the black trash bag was packed I was forced to sit there, she continued the mental abuse untill my then, step dad, John Griswold came home. He was the one that was going to get rid of me. She couldn’t be bothered with it. I waited begging her not to get rid of me, saying how sorry I was that I loved her so much. “You don’t love me” she said. If you did you wouldn’t act like this. Finally my step dad walks in, he’s home from work. My mom tells him he needs to take me, that I want to leave so my bag is packed. He said ok, let’s go. I drag my trash bag into the car he begins driving. I’m crying begging him not to do this. Pleading that I don’t wanna go I’m sorry ill be good I promise. He says ” sorry but I can’t bring you back, your moms making my favorite for dinner spaghetti and meatballs I have to get back, dinners almost ready. He drives into the woods and on the dirt roads in Pennsylvania, (we are in Ohio on the line, it’s about a 15 min drive) he drives down a few dirt roads, still crying I beg him not to leave me.

We are driving, “I don’t know where to go” I say. “Well you have to find somewhere I need to get back.”. He stops on one of the roads deeper in the woods. He gets out, grabs my bag, opens my door and says come on let’s go. I continue crying, he gets in his car as im begging him, pleading with him to not leave me there. He drives away.

I stand there alone, crying in the middle of the woods, on a dirt road, it seemed like hours. Most likely it was 15 to 20 minuets but as a child it felt like hours. With snot running down my face,and eyes swelled up, I sob. I wonder where will I go what can I do? I look into the woods, should I go in there? I can hide. I start walking down the dirt road, scared, alone. Why does she hate me so much, I thought. Why was I born, no one loves me. Just as I start to walk into the woods my step dad came back. He says “your mom told me to get you, but only if you learned your lesson”.  “Yes” I said. ” I’ll be good im sorry i didn’t mean it”. I got in the car, he put the trash bag in as well and we went home.

Once we got there, he carried my cloths in for me, I was still crying. She spoke, “so you still wanna leave? Because that’s the only place you have to go. I wouldn’t have to do this if you listened to me Shannon”.  “I’m sorry”I said. “I promise ill be good I didn’t mean it. I want to be here, I don’t wanna go anywhere else I love you mom.”.  She replied, “well maybe next time you’ll think before opening your mouth. Dinners out on the table go eat.”. I couldn’t eat that much, I was so sick from crying and the panic attacks ( I now know I suffered a lot of anxiety and panic attacks as a child as well as depression) after dinner I was told to wash all the dishes, so I did. Then I went to my room and sat untill she called me down for my next chore.

 

My blog is going to be very day by day. It’s about my current life, childhood, abuse, depression, anxiety, ADHD and everyday life. Though I am a silly, honest, loving person and I have a smartass sick sence of humor. Well, my scars are deep, they will forever remain a part of me. Mental abuse is not like a broken bone, it never heals. It’s a tatoo within your life.  You never fully heal, it’s a forever mark on your soul. The trick is, a good shrink, some therapy, and to finally realize you are not the blame. It was never me, It was always her.

Have a beautiful day everyone and my quote for this post is,

Barns burnt down, now I can see the moon.”

-Masahide

If you would like to donate so I can keep blogging, work on my book I would appriciate it.  paypal.me/shannoncreatively