When I was first diagnosed with postpartum depression, I was so ashamed. I felt like I was the only person around me who struggled with it. I felt scared and alone, afraid to raise my hand and say that this was me.

But then one day, I decided to open up and talk about this darkness. I decided to raise my hand and claim that this is a part of my story. That postpartum depression had a face.

That #iamher.

And do you know what happened when I was brave enough to raise my hand?

Somebody else grabbed it.

It was my college professor.
It was my friend's wife.
It was my friend from elementary school.
It was my blogging ladies.
It was another new mama in my town.
It was Hayden Panettiere.
It was my readers.
It was the older lady who sits behind me in church.
It was the friend of a friend.
It was the woman next to me in Target.

It was you.

You see friends, when we each choose to raise our hand and say that #iamher, we aren't just reaching out into a dark space anymore. We are reaching up and grabbing the hand of the mama next to us and we will rise.

Out of the darkness and into the light we WILL come out of this fog together. There will be days that are hard, weeks that are messy, and seasons that are painful and dark. But I can promise you this, as long as you keep raising your hand, I will be there to grab it. You aren't alone, mama friend.

You are me and #iamher.

For more PPD and Anxiety encouragement, be sure to follow along with Lauren on Facebook and on her blog at From Blacktop to Dirt Road.

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