Whats your pmad story ?

Stigma is alive and well when talking about perinatal mental health and on top of that the fear of the judgment can make it even harder for those struggling to reach out for help. Here at the Regina Perinatal Health Network, we want to change that! We strongly believe in the power of storytelling and how it brings a new level of understanding and hope for those at the beginning of their healing journey.

Today we’re reaching out to mothers and parents in the YQR community in hopes they can help us raise awareness and end stigma by sharing their lived experience with Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders like Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Anxiety. We know these illnesses are #MoreThanPostpartum because they affect everyone around you and when left untreated, their impact can be felt for a lifetime! We want those who are struggling to find strength in the fact that they’re not alone, that what they’re feeling is common and above all, recovery is possible and it looks different to everyone!

DETAILS

Each blog submission should be approximately 600- 800 words and we will work with you during the editing process and provide you with a final copy before posting publicly. Sharing your story can feel empowering yet for some, it’s still a vulnerable place to be. With that said, we want you to know that you have the choice to use your name publicly or you can choose to remain anonymous. On the flip side, if you are comfortable with your name being attached to your blog piece, providing a photo or two for your piece is helpful.

Below are some tips and writing prompts to consider when submitting your blog piece.

Please know you do NOT have to answer all of these questions! They are simply a starting point to get your story flowing. You can submit multiple pieces with different topics or just one that covers many different things. All pieces are welcome! The one thing we would encourage is to keep in mind that you’re writing with the goal to provide hope for someone who is currently struggling so be mindful about sharing in depth details about intrusive thoughts that might be triggering for a new parent. We can also help with this so please write what you feel is best for you!

Questions/prompts to consider when writing your blog piece:

  • When did you realize your symptoms had started?
  • Have you struggled previously with mental health?
  • Did you tell anyone how you were feeling? Why or why not?
  • Why do you think it’s so hard for people to ask for help?
  • What were your symptoms like and how did it affect your day to day activities?
  • What would you do to cope on the bad days?
  • What time of day was the worst for you (morning/afternoon/ evening)?
  • How long did it take you to reach out for help?
  • What did reaching out for help look like for you and how did it feel once you asked for help?
  • What did your treatment plan look like? Counselling/ medication, in home help? Self-care?
  • How did your care providers support your recovery? Were they helpful?
  • What’s one thing care providers could do to better support new parents?
  • How did your birth impact your postpartum mental health?
  • How did your mental health impact your decisions to breastfeed or bottle feed?
  • How long did it take until you started feeling better?
  • How did your PMAD affect your relationship with your partner?
  • What surprised you most about the postpartum period or PMAD’s?
  • What’s one thing you would have done prenatally to be better prepared?
  • What’s one thing you would tell a new mom who might be struggling?
  • What do you think could be done at a community level to support new families?
  • What have you learned about yourself after experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorder?
  • Why are Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders #MoreThanPostpartum?

We are so excited to hear from parents in our community and we look forward to reading your stories! We know, without a doubt, that storytelling saves lives and we’re grateful for everyone who has jumped on board to share their personal journey of recovery!

Please submit your finished piece to sara@rphn and if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out!