Candace
Age at interview: 27
Candace is a 27-year-old woman who lives with her husband and child who was aged 18 months at the time of interview. She had never experienced any kind of mental health issues prior to her daughter’s birth and had a smooth pregnancy and delivery.
About 6-8 weeks postpartum Candace began to feel disconnected from the baby and noticed that she was having disturbing thoughts. These progressed to the point where she felt unsafe being alone at home with her child. Overwhelmed with anxiety and depression, ashamed of what was going through her mind and fearful that mentioning it to a healthcare provider would result in her child being taken into protective custody, Candace did not tell anyone the truth about how she was feeling. Attending mother and baby groups only made the situation worse because it seemed like other people were managing new motherhood better than she was. There were no postpartum support groups available in the area at the time. Eventually, Candace broke down and told her husband and her family doctor how she was feeling and went to stay with family for a few weeks so that she had constant support.
The combination of anti-depressants and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helped Candace get through her experience. She gradually began to feel better and developed skills that allowed her to gain a sense of control over her thoughts and feelings. She also began attending a postpartum support group that had started up in her area. Candace eventually took on a leading role in the group and has become a peer support for other women struggling with postpartum mood disorder. She and her daughter are now feeling happy and healthy.
More content
- Sharing Experiences – CandaceSupporting other women who were struggling with their mental health helped Candace be accountable to herself and her own health.
- Medication and Treatment Approaches – Candace (clip 2)Candace describes how difficult early days gradually got better after starting medications.
- Medication and Treatment Approaches – CandaceCandace says her family doctor came at it from all angles.
- Seeking and Finding Reliable Information – Candace (clip 2)Candace believes it is important to have a mental health module on prenatal classes.
- Seeking and Finding Reliable Information – CandaceCandace describes how her support group helped her to learn tools to take care of herself.
- Communicating with Health Care Providers – Candace (clip 2)Candace wishes for a more supportive screening approach for mental health concerns.
- Communicating with Health Care Providers – CandaceCandace felt comfortable talking to her family doctor.
- Seeking Help and Getting Diagnosis – CandaceAfter visiting her parents while in crisis, Candace contacted her family doctor and immediately received the support she needed.
- Relationships – CandaceCandace and her husband started talking after she experienced non-stop thoughts at night, and she slowly revealed how strong the thoughts were.
- Managing Personal Challenges with Sleeping and Eating – CandaceIf Candace has another baby, she would rely more on her social network for support and getting moments to sleep.