Anxiety is worse after becoming a dad | DadHQ

Anxiety is worse after becoming a dad

3d ago1 min read

Before kids I had some anxiety but it was manageable. Now I'm constantly worried about everything. Did I buckle the carseat right? Is that rash something serious? What if I'm messing them up? I'm lying awake at 3am running through worst case scenarios. My wife is chill about everything and it makes me feel broken. Started therapy last month which helps but some days are really hard. Anyone else deal with this?

6 comments212 views

Comments(6)

JJason T.Regular1d ago

Same boat here. New dad anxiety is no joke. I catch myself checking on my kid at night like five times to make sure she's breathing. The rational part of me knows she's fine but the dad part won't shut up about worst case scenarios.

MMichaelRegular2d ago

The worry about everything is legitimate though. You're responsible for tiny humans now. That said, at some point you have to accept you can't control everything or you'll drive yourself crazy.

RRobertRegular3d ago

Dad anxiety is its own thing. I worry about stuff I never used to think about. Car seats, strangers, germs... I had to learn that some of it is just part of the job and I can't control everything. Meditation helped me more than I expected.

JJosh M.Regular3d ago

Before kids my anxiety was background noise. Now it's like my brain has 47 different disaster scenarios running simultaneously. Worth talking to a therapist because this affects your whole family.

NNathanNew Dad2d ago

You're not alone in this. Anxiety hit me different after my first was born. I started talking to someone and it actually helped a ton. The constant 'what-ifs' are real but they don't have to run your life. Have you thought about therapy or just talking to your doc about it?

-2

SScott M.Regular1d ago

Same experience here. The anxiety went from annoying to absolutely suffocating once I had kids. I'm constantly running worst-case scenarios in my head. Have you talked to anyone about it or tried anything that helps?