Postnatal and pregnancy depression are both very real – and common – illnesses to cope with and just two of the mental health issues that Time to Talk day is aiming to raise awareness for on 6th February
Time to Talk day is happening this week and it’s a great reason to open up about your own experience of postnatal depression(PND), pregnancy depression or any other mental health issue you – or someone you know – may have battled.
PND affects one in seven new mums while between one in 10 and one in seven women suffer bouts of depression during pregnancy and talking to others could be the first step to recovery. If you haven’t suffered from either illness, then Time to Talk day is a great reason to reach out to someone who has.
What is Time to Talk day?
The campaign, run by leading mental health charities Mindand Rethink Mental Illness, aims to get people talking about illnesses such as PND in an attempt to help others and reduce the bad feeling that surrounds mental health.
The organisers are encouraging people to make a pledge (virtually, through the campaign’s website) to end mental health stigma. The goal is to reach one million pledges with celebrities including new mum and The Saturdays singer Frankie Sandford, who has pledged to ‘do my best to help raise awareness of mental health problems! Can you pledge too?
Get involved!
Any help, small or large, is brilliant – and you can help out as much as you’re able to.
If you’ve got your hands full with your baby, taking the time to chat with the other mums can be all it takes. Support is vital with conditions like PND and knowing someone is there for you and listening can really help.
Or if that’s not possible, simply use the #TimetoTalk hashtag on Facebook and Twitter to spread the word.
If you have a bit of spare time on your hands, get involved with the campaign’s registered activities. You can hand out Time to Talk tea bags, encouraging staff to have conversations about mental health or even give presentations in schools. You can find an updated list of all the schools and organisations taking part on the website. Here, you can also order free tea bags, badges, tip cards, posters, postcards and more.
Have you battled with a mental illness during pregnancy or new motherhood? Let us know in the comments box below.