Using social media helped Michelle2 to find information and think about her own condition and how she was handling it.
Transcript
Interviewer: Did you get to find information on social media about mental health, and pregnancy, and postpartum?
Yes.
Interviewer: Yeah?
And I found it very helpful. Especially with the pandemic and like what the recommendations were with vaccinating, and different things during my pregnancy. And then I started following all these maternal mental health things on Instagram so then it pops up. And it’s almost like a daily check in for me. Because if I’m just you know, scrolling social media because during some downtime there is different memes, or I don’t know what you call them. Like different articles? Or sayings just on different people that I follow their stories, or their posts. And for me it was like a check in and every time I read something it was a check-in for myself.
More from: Michelle 2
More content
- Coping with Perinatal Mental Health – Michelle2Exercise, getting outside and taking vitamin D made a huge difference for Michelle2.
- Medication and Treatment Approaches – Michelle2 (clip 2)Michelle2 finally slept once in hospital and on anti-psychotic medications.
- Medication and Treatment Approaches – Michelle2Michelle2 was reassured by her doctors that the medications were safe for breastfeeding.
- Seeking and Finding Reliable Information – Michelle2Using social media helped Michelle2 to find information and think about her own condition and how she was handling it.
- Work, Finances and Mental Health – Michelle2For Michelle2, not going back to work was not an option; she needed to work to maintain her mental health.
- Support from Family and Friends – Michelle2Michelle2's sister played an important role in making sure she received the right help after being discharged.
- Stigma and Feeling Judged – Michelle2Michelle2 didn't want to go to the hospital as she didn't want her coworkers and friends to find out.
- Symptoms – Michelle2Michelle2 experienced intrusive thoughts and continued to get increasingly worse until a psychosis set in.
- First Symptoms – Michelle2For the first three months after giving birth, Michelle2 felt great, but then she began experiencing sleep issues and her mental health started to decline.
- Before and During Pregnancy – Michelle2After mental health issues with her first pregnancy, Michelle2 was proactive during the next pregnancy.