Climb Out of Darkness
Amanda, Reshae, and myself had the honor of participating in the first annual Climb Out of Darkness walk in Chattanooga on June 18. Postpartum Progress created this event to help bring awareness to maternal mental illnesses such as postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and depression or anxiety during pregnancy. These illnesses affect one in every seven women. A lot of women are afraid or ashamed to seek help, thinking that they are alone or a bad mom, but this is not true. There is help and you can get better!
From the Postpartum Progress website: "If you have sadness or irritability or negative symptoms that seem to continue on and on without letting up, or that continually worsen, and are affecting your ability to function on a daily basis, that’s when it’s time to reach out for help. You do not have to accept that this is what it’s like to be a mom, because it isn’t. You might not believe it, but you can and will get back to the old you with help. The most important thing is to get that help now. Don’t wait hoping that some day these symptoms will just go away on their own. The longer you wait, your symptoms may become more severe, and it may take you longer to recover. It can also affect the health of your family, so the greatest gift you can give to them all is to get the help you need and deserve."
