Dear Mums.

If you have or have had Postnatal Depression keep reading.. If not then please read on regardless.

I was there 6 years ago, covered by the shadow of this hidden illness, the all consuming blackness, tiredness, the tears and anger, the questions ‘Why me?’ ‘This is all I ever wanted why can’t I be happy’ ‘Everyone else is coping so why aren’t I?’, the guilt, the resentment, intrusive thoughts, so many horrible emotions, all caused by Postnatal Depression.

PND takes so much from us, it steals those memories that should be remembered with a smile – not tears. It ruins relationships, friendships, steals what should be one of the happiest times of our lives, makes us feel so isolated but will I let you in on a secret? You are not alone. There are so many women out there who have been where you are, women feeling the same emotions you are right now. There are people out there who care about you so much, and no matter what PND make you think, your child loves you VERY much.

There’s a few things PND tries to take from you but fight, and hold onto these things as best as you can –

Your Spirit – It may do it’s best to beat you down with its constant nasty voice but you keep fighting, tell those voices to piss off! You can can beat this.

Your Smile – Some days this will be a hard one, but finding little things every day to bring a smile to your face, no matter how small will make a difference as the days go by.

Hope – Never let go of the hope that tomorrow could be better, that tomorrow could be the day the fog starts to lift and that one day in the not too distant future – You will be better.

Your Self Worth – YOU are an incredible person and you must always know that, it’s hard to believe it yourself sometimes, but you are worth the care, the love, you are worth helping. So reach out you don’t need to be alone on this journey.

It’s time to come out from the shadows, sufferers and survivors alike to show the world that this illness is real and that we have the right to a decent level of care to help us get better and that we CAN get better with the right support and help.

Let’s beat the shadow of PND together, because we are all worth saving and we all deserve a life in the light.. so take my hand and we’ll walk out of the shadows together.

Love and Strength

Mum of three and fighter of PND.

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