Supporting other women who were struggling with their mental health helped Candace be accountable to herself and her own health.

Transcript

Counselling and medication. I didn’t succeed in finding any moms or any support groups in the community at that time. So three months after my daughter was born, three to four months, there were no support groups for women with postpartum adjustment issues. There was, there was nothing, and I had been already going to a lot of the programs in the community for moms and babies or young parents and babies, and my needs weren’t being met there either, in terms of being open about talking about some more of the struggles that parents go through.

So with some intense counselling, I would say, and a lot of hard work on my behalf, and my husband was able to take three weeks off to help care for our daughter, while I was truly just focusing on fixing myself, I came to be sort of where I am today. I still have highs and lows, but I have the skills now to cope with those lows, and there actually is … So while I was going through all of this postpartum adjustment, anxiety, depression, I couldn’t find any support groups. Well, lo and behold, there was one in the works while I was going through all this. So at around six months after my daughter was born, I heard word of a support group that was starting in the community.

And so, I started to attend that. I have noticed my role in that group is more so as, like, a peer support for other women that are coming because I’ve already been through, you know, the dark times, and I’ve learned the skills that I need. I’ve been able to act more as sort of like a mentor to some of the women in the group, and that’s sort of what’s kept me accountable and wanting to continue to, you know, be healthy for me and for my family and for other women because I hope that no one ever … You know. I know women will, but I just don’t want them to feel alone like I did, or not safe, or, yes.

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