EP044: Maternal mental health: my journey and why we need to talk about it

At the time of recording, it’s the end of Global Maternal Mental Health Week (early May 2019). This is an episode with a difference, and it feels vulnerable and frightening to share it with you.

But I’m doing it because this story matters. My mental health journey matters, and as I’ve been sharing it this week online, the response has been incredible. So many women are suffering silently, convinced they’re alone. They aren’t. You aren’t.

In this week’s episode you’ll learn why I know first-hand that we must keep conversation and education growing around maternal mental health. I learned about it the hard way, and I wish I’d known of people talking about it at the time. Maternal mental illness is an epidemic that must be stopped.

If you know me outside of motherhood, this episode might surprise you. If you know me as a mama, you might still be surprised because I present as (and am) fiercely smart, sharp-minded and quick-witted. I’m also incredibly fragile, just like everyone else out there. Some people sail through life without any mental wobbles. Many don’t. Those of us in the latter camp need support, visibility and most of all, we need the shame and stigma associated with mental illness to be dropped.

If you’re a return listener to MamaFuel, you’ll know that mental health struggles come up often during our conversations. We’ve talked about depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, post-natal bi-polar and more. If any of those topics speak to you, click on the links above and you’ll find much to comfort and possibly educate you.

If you haven’t ever wrestled with your mental health, I’m so happy for you. But chances are you know a mum (likely many) who are struggling and aren’t talking about it. For them, please listen to this episode and share it broadly. We all need to be part of the conversation.

If you’d like to join the MamaFuel-Up Sessions, starting May 7th, 2019, please click on this link to join us. We’ll be gathering for five consecutive days, one hour per day, to start sharing stories, shifting perspectives and collecting tools to help us lead our best life, even when it feels impossible. I’d love you to join us, it’s absolutely free.

If you’re struggling, please reach out to your local community, a friend or a health professional near you. Nothing is unsolvable, once we find the right help.

Here are some resources in the UK, Canada, South Africa, the US and Switzerland. If you have any more to share for your country, please email me here and I'll gladly add them to list list. Thank you.