Andrea started her own peer support group.
Transcript
I started a Facebook group for maternal mental health awareness, and it has now over 200 members all over the world, and we meet about every six weeks, eight to twelve women at a time, whoever wants to come. We’re by no means mental health professionals; we’re very upfront about that. I’m not a doctor. But we just meet to discuss issues, and we spend most of the time laughing and going over these things. But there needs to be more support, there needs to be less judgement. You know, that’s the only way we can move forward.
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- Advice for Policymakers – AndreaAndrea describes the need for a safe space for moms to get mental health care and support.
- Coping with Perinatal Mental Health – AndreaAndrea started her own peer support group.
- Medication and Treatment Approaches – AndreaAndrea still has nightmares about her inpatient psychiatry admission.
- Seeking and Finding Reliable Information – AndreaAndrea created a Facebook group for maternal mental health awareness that meets periodically to support each other.
- Gaps in Health Care System – AndreaAndrea is angry that she had no access to a perinatal mental health specialist.
- Communicating with Health Care Providers – AndreaAndrea found a new provider who had more time for her care.
- Work, Finances and Mental Health – AndreaOnce on leave, Andrea spent the days trembling in fear, anxious about what to do during the day.
- Relationships – AndreaHearing Andrea's thoughts of self-harm was deeply traumatic for her family members.
- Stigma and Feeling Judged – AndreaFor Andrea, feelings of judgement regarding medication use for mental health issues is not uncommon.
- Bonding – AndreaWhile others helped care for the newborn, Andrea had to figure out how to do it on her own.