Why Mental Health is A Secret Ingredient to Happiness
With May being the month of Mental Health Awareness, we are continuing to break the stigma of getting help for mental illnesses by talking about a resource that we find dear to us. For years there has been a mission to speak out when suffering with your mental health and encouragement to take all the steps you need to be whole healthy.
With the rise in talking openly about mental illness and with resources like Reclaim Counseling & Wellness, we hope to see an even larger rise in women, men and
families taking action to be well too.
Reclaim Counseling & Wellness has a team of counselors in Wilmington, NC. They specialize in counseling for adults, new parents, postpartum women and children.
Their services include but are not limited to:
anxiety
mood disorders
grief and loss
child behavioral concerns
parent coaching
prenatal and postpartum counseling
They also have groups for children, adolescence and adults. I was so excited to learn that one of the groups they have is specifically for girl empowerment and self-esteem. I know I'm not alone when I say that as an adolescent, that group could have greatly benefited me.
As Postpartum and Infant Care Doulas, maternal mental health and the health of the whole family as their lives' adjust to a new baby is the top reason we provide this in-home service. We know that having a professional in your home who really knows the postpartum period can be a strong weapon against silent postnatal suffering.
As doulas we do not counsel or claim to prevent any mental illness that a family might have to deal with, but being in your home with you, we are that first line of defense. We are one of those people who can recognize what is outside of a normal postpartum experience, the person who has resources to give you and heavily support you as you get the help that is needed.
The owner of Reclaim Counseling & Wellness, Ashley Trotter, is not unfamiliar with the postpartum period with twins of her own. Her passion for families shows in her continuing education and specialized practices with family wellness at the forefront of her mind.
If you are feeling unlike yourself and not sure what is normal or not, call your doctor, your midwife, your friend, your therapist, or reach out to us and we can help you make that often difficult phone call. There isn't typically a quick fix and it might take time to work through, but your joy and your happiness depend on you taking that first step.
As parents we give of ourselves constantly every day. Healthy brains help us create healthy bonds with our family while we learn how to take care of ourselves at the same time. Our mental health is imperative for our perspective on the daily grind of our work in the home, from the home or outside the home lives.
Anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsions, among other symptoms can manifest during your pregnancy or postpartum period without any history. It's nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that is your fault. The hormones needed to grow a baby, birth a baby and then prepare to feed a baby are comprehensive and vast. Receiving help getting back to center and balanced is sometimes a part of postpartum recovery, totally manageable and empowering work.
Want to learn more about symptoms of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders? Send us an email and we will give you a copy of what you can look for and provide support for you to call your provider.
