The world is finally getting real about Post Partum Depression and how it effects new Moms. For years they have been told that they shouldn’t be depressed, didn’t’ they know that this is the BEST part of their lives to finally gaining awareness and sympathy to their plight. But it seems that is the only time it’s acceptable to being a depressed Mom. Moms are supposed to be strong, happy, cheerful people who tackle everything head on without fail.

WRONG.

Plenty of Moms deal with depression, and I’m one of them. I had Post-Partum Depression after the birth of my son and as I was battling cancer that was diagnosed with while pregnant with him. I battled depression again as I helped my daughter battle horrific bullying that led to a suicide attempt, and then her own mental illness. A few years later, I struggled again after the death of my Step -Mom and some estrangement from other family members. I had to fight my way back from depression while parenting and homeschooling teens. Trust me, teens don’t miss a thing. They knew I was struggling, but even more importantly they saw that I was working hard at helping myself. I show then that depression, like any metal illness was just an illness that needed to be treated, and I started taking care of myself.

• I was honest about what I needed. I reached out for help and told others I was not okay, and I needed help and support.
• I spent more time outside. My doctor told me that I was Vitamin D deficient. I went for daily walks, spent a lot more time on the porch, and used a convenient Vitamin D Spray.
• I learned to meditate. I used apps on my phone to help keep me grounded.
• I volunteered more at our local animal shelter. Cuddling sweet kittens and talking dogs on walks help me a lot. Volunteering got me out of my “only me” mind space. I feel good helping someone else.
• I started taking care of myself. I made sure I got some exercise in, started eating better, taking more natural and holistic vitamins and supplements to help me become as healthy as I could.
• I started reading again. I loved to read, and it was something that I had let fall to the side while I took care of everyone and everything else. I made a comfy spot just for me, filled up my kindle, and made sure to read ever a little every day.
• I reached out for help and got it. I went to my doctor, where I found out about my vitamin deficiencies and she suggested some other medications to help. I also used some online support groups that freed me up to talk about what was going on in my life.

Being a Mom means that I often must be strong. But, I think that it was important to my family to show them that I also have weak moments and needed help. I showed them that taking care of yourself is really important,and letting them help me shared how important they were to me and our family.