Motherhood Anxiety and Depression: You Are Not Alone
Motherhood is one of the most beautiful and rewarding, yet challenging journey’s a woman can go on. Some will find motherhood easy, fun and joyous, while others may have moments of sadness, anger, frustration and everything in between. When mental illness comes into play, some days motherhood can feel like the most challenging job in the world. Let’s try and break down all of the feelings and emotions that come attached to motherhood.
Depression
Remember, to provide and give yourself to another human, you must first be healthy enough for yourself. Bring into the mix genetics and hormones, stress from motherhood and life, and every other possible factor that can affect your mental health, the result is often a sensitive, emotional and tired human being.
So, if you find yourself feeling absolutely worn out, it is so important to seek help. Ignoring or fighting through the depression is not the answer, and remember, you are not alone in feeling sad. Just because you have a child, this does not mean your life and your goals are fulfilled. Depression in mothers is normal and you should not feel guilty or ashamed for how you are feeling or for seeking help from a therapist.
Anxiety
Before becoming a mom, you probably thought you had experienced the worst of anxiety and while this may be true for some, many of you were probably introduced to a whole new level of anxiety. You quickly realized you are responsible for another human’s life and have an entire new set of responsibilities on your shoulders. Well, if you don’t know already, motherhood is a never-ending learning journey, with ups and downs, and lots of twists and turns.
Here’s a few tips on how to overcome the anxiety you may be feeling:
Take time for yourself
This is so important. Whether you’re a new mom or have a teenager, take time for yourself. If it’s just a few hours or a whole day, spend time doing something you enjoy. This may be alone, with friends, or family, but whatever it is, make sure you’re having fun and fulfilling your own wants and needs.
Accept that your child will make mistakes
Nobody is perfect, not me, not you, and not your child. Accepting the fact that your child will make a mistake, that they will make many mistakes, can help save a lot of frustration and anger over the years. With acceptance, you will be able to spend more time learning, teaching, and coping with the challenges your family may be facing.
Worrying is normal
Yes, you will find yourself worrying about your child. But you cannot let the worry overcome your life. Find ways to cope with your worrying. Half of the time, a worry is just a worry and chances are it won’t actually happen. The worry is just living in your mind. To overcome the worry, find an activity that takes your mind off of everything, this can be cleaning, reading, talking on the phone or going for a walk. Find what works best for you.
https://psychcentral.com/blog/motherhood-and-depression/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-worry-mom/201206/mothers-anxiety