A Mother's Climb Out Of Darkness by Jennifer H. Moyer

Not only do I lead a support group, but I participate in many other support groups. When I do encounter a bad reaction I try to use it as a teaching moment, and understand that people just need to be more educated and they don’t understand mental health issues.ĬB: I definitely found a passion for maternal mental health after my experience. My family has been very supportive so I haven’t had the fear that some people have of sharing their stories.

SK: This was interesting for me because I feel my advocacy has played a large role in my recovery. Do you think that advocating for others has helped your recovery? What did you think about Jennifer’s speaking out about her illness and the reactions that other people had to her speaking out? In Chapter 10 Jennifer talks about finding PSI and in Chapter 15 she goes into how helping others has helped her heal. Like ST said, it hit so soon and I had never experienced such paralyzingly anxiety before.

SC: I was aware of my risk factors but I had successfully dealt with anxiety and some depression before so I figured I would be able to handle it if it happened. ST: I was aware of only one, my prior Depression history. I think no one ever wants to think it could happen when anticipating what is supposed to be one of the happiest events of life. LL: I was aware of my risk factors but still thought it would never happen to me. LB: I was not aware of my risk factors before my experience. It’s amazing how a little list of information can mean so much to people, and clarify so much. Once I saw a list, in my head, I kinda went check, check, check. I did not see any of the warning signs or risk factors until I was well into recovery. It was almost as if I had to ‘check every box’ before I sought help for it. Were you aware the risk factors prior to your experience? After you learned about the risk factors were you better able to see how certain things affected your mental health?ĬB: I was aware of them because I was already working with pregnant and new moms but I was in denial for the longest time. In Chapter 9, and throughout the entire book, Jennifer discusses risk factors for maternal mental illness and recurrences of mental illness symptoms. You can read Part 1 here, and feel free to join our Warrior Mom Book Club!Ī Mother’s Climb Out of Darkness Discussion, Part 2 We’re excited to continue our discussion on A Mother’s Climb Out of Darkness by Jennifer Moyer.

A Mother's Climb Out Of Darkness by Jennifer H. Moyer