Anna Duggar has opened up about her relationship with her embattled husband of seven years, Josh Duggar, revealing that his numerous indiscretions were both "painful" and "overwhelming" for her.
On Sunday, the older Duggar siblings returned to TV for a brand new "19 Kids and Counting" series entitled "Jill & Jessa: Counting On."
Still recovering "media storm" that followed Josh's scandals last year, Anna is shown preparing to visit her husband during his stint at a faith-based rehab center.
As reported by The Gospel Herald, Josh, 28, entered rehab after he admitted to cheating and a pornography addiction amid reports he had active accounts on Ashley Madison, a website created to facilitate adulterous affairs.
Just a few months earlier, it was revealed that Josh had molested five girls, including sisters Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald, back in 2002, when he was 14 years old.
The family's hit show was subsequently cancelled, and the eldest Duggar resigned from his position at the conservative lobbying group Family Research Council in light of the revelations.
"He had accounts set up on websites that were set up specifically for having an affair and cheating on your spouse, and it was just feeling like your world instantly shattered," Anna recalled during Sunday's episode. "How? Where? Why? Just all of those questions running through your mind. It was overwhelming."
Talking about their relationship since the scandal broke, Anna explained, "We felt that something long-term would be helpful and probably the best situation for our family."
The mother-of-four added, "It's been good for our hearts for this time for each of us to get help separately, but it's also been hard. Meredith was a month old when Joshua left - now she's almost 4 months old."
While Anna has previously voiced her desire to save her marriage, she admitted it hasn't been easy. "At the end of the day, when I think about all of the fun and the special events that happened that day, it's really sweet, but it's different because I'm thinking about it by myself.
Normally that would be when Josh and I were talking about the events of the day, and so it is hard that we miss it, and we're not able to enjoy life together."
Though Anna said she was excited to see Josh, she was apprehensive as well. "I'm coming face to face with a lot of painful memories," she said.
Before getting in the car to make the trip, she said: "I don't know what I'm stepping into. I don't know how to handle each situation. It's not anything I ever would have thought I would walk through. [I tell myself,] 'Just do the next right thing, have the next right response for the next 15 minutes.'"
Josh, who will not appear in the new Duggar series, has since returned home after spending six months in rehab. In a statement shared on their personal website on Thursday morning, the Duggar family confirmed the news.
"Josh has completed his residential rehabilitation program. We are so thankful for everyone who worked with Josh in this program," the statement reads. "It was a crucial first step in recovery and healing for Josh. Josh has now returned to Arkansas, where he will continue professional counseling and focus on rebuilding relationships with his family. We look to God for help and guidance and place all of our trust in Him. We are forever grateful for the love and prayers offered by so many and hope you will continue to pray in the days ahead."
"Jill & Jessa: Counting On" airs every Tuesday on TLC at 9 p.m. EST.
