Single Mum's Survival Guide: How to Pick Up the Pieces and Build a Happy New Life - Hardcover

Vivienne Smith is a writer, trainer, presenter, transformational coach, and certified neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and hypnosis practitioner. She is also a Regional Director of the Athena Group, an international networking, training and development business community for female executives and entrepreneurs. Her experience as a single mum prompted Vivienne to write a book about the subject. It has been the fulfilment of a long term ambition to turn what was at the time a negative and distressing experience into an opportunity to help others get through similar challenges. Now happily remarried, she lives with her husband and two sons in beautiful West Sussex, on the south coast of England.

Jennifer, Kayleigh and Andrea were all lucky to have the support and care of family in their hour of need. If at all possible, I would recommend that you enlist the help of a loving family member or even best friend. It’s not a good time to be alone in the early days and the presence of someone who cares about you can be immensely reassuring, both for you and the children. If there’s no one round the corner that can come and keep you company for at least some of the time, make sure you keep in regular telephone touch with your loved ones-an evening telephone call to check in with someone who cares can feel like a lifeline at the moment. It is also a good idea to inform your healthcare provider. I know in my case that my doctor was extremely sympathetic and immediately put me under the care of a counsellor, to help me come to terms with my loss and cope with the bleak aftermath of my husband’s departure. Your doctor may also prescribe sleeping pills or anti-depressants (happy pills, as Andrea calls them) and of course your doctor is the most qualified person to judge your individual situation but my advice is to proceed with extreme caution here, so that you are not faced with a tricky withdrawal process further down the line. It is certainly worth investigating some of the natural remedies as well, which do not have harmful side effects or addictive qualities.