We all have a personal form of kryptonite, some trigger that when it gets pulled it doesn't matter how well or badly you're doing, or how well or badly you're dealing, you will lose your ability to function properly.
For some people the death of a family member strips them of their coping abilities. For others, it's being helpless or otherwise out of control. For some, a bad breakup will do the trick.
Turns out that my kryptonite is any one of my family members going missing or otherwise being gone, or in danger of being gone. A few months ago it was the death of a cat. Before that was Chris's surgery and radiation. Before that was my ex taking the kids to Canada or, in one instance, outright kidnapping them. Then there's the several family members who have passed away in the past 2 and something years.
Today it's a missing dog. It seems I can deal with every other extremely stressful life thing going on right now, but I can't deal with Wash being missing. And so I'm having my first true nervous breakdown of the year.
Everyone's got some kind of kryptonite, this just happens to be mine.