Food For Thought

My post-natal mental health needed specific help and medication but it took me 18 months before I acknowledged I needed professional help. During that time I closed my business in Canada we moved from Vancouver to the UK with a 2 year old and a 6 month old and I became a full-time stay at home Mum living in a county where I knew no-one. This was a recipe for disaster and my mental health got very bad. My isolation was such a big problem. I didn’t have friends or family nearby who could help so I got into the habit of handling everything myself which was making my worn-out brain even more tired.

I found it hard to talk to family at first because I didn’t want to worry them and didn’t think they’d know what to do. I hid behind the idea that I didn’t want to bother anyone and that everyone with small children struggles but truthfully I knew that I was experiencing thoughts that were dangerous. Some friends and family were surprised that I was struggling because I have always been able to take on big projects but parenthood isn’t comparable to anything else. Talking to people who have a lot of experience of what you’re going through but aren’t as close as family and friends gives you a space to talk that is free from assumptions and judgements. That degree of separation was essential for me to get practical help. Over about 10 months I stopped drowning in PND. It was still there but it wasn’t dictating my life.

Here are some resources that I used to support my mental health. Getting to a place where you can reach out for help isn’t easy but if you can keep trying then the right help can be life-changing and life-saving.