The school holidays always seem to bring a sense of dread among many parents I speak to. Many feel it's a time where they feel exhausted, inadequate and stressed. I don't hate the school holidays. I use to, but I'm finding them easier as time goes on. I do miss the routine of school etc… Continue reading 11 Tips for surviving the Summer Break when you’re a parent with depression
I've been well now for nearly 3 years. Recovery is individual to everyone but one thing we all know is it isn't an easy, straight road. Here I share what I've learnt from my own difficult moments and relapses. I've had two main 'relapses' when it came to my postnatal mental health. The first was… Continue reading What I’ve learnt from my Mental Health relapses…
Recovery means different things to different people. For some it means no longer needing medication, for others, including myself it means being able to do the things your illness prevented you doing before and some people don't believe in the word recovery. These are all valid points, but something I believe is recovery is different… Continue reading Recovery – its individual
Just over two years ago I discovered a group of like minded people online who changed my life in wonderful ways. While I was struggling with anxiety after a recent miscarriage, and then feeling pretty low throughout my third pregnancy, I turned to the internet to try and find some local support groups. I'd already… Continue reading Finding Your Tribe
Experiencing a perinatal mental illness affects everyone in different ways, for some it's like a flick of a switch and for others it's a gradual decline of their mental health. There are times in our lives where we have the version of ourselves before an event and a version after. For me there have been… Continue reading Flick of a switch
Believing in yourself... When I had postnatal depression and my anxiety had me in its grip I lost every bit of self love, confidence and ultimately the belief I had the ability to make good decisions. I was always looking for someone to validate what I was doing, usually my mum. I felt I needed… Continue reading Believing in yourself
This week we have seen another celebrity open up about their battle with mental illness. Adele revealed to Vanity Fair her experience of postnatal depression and how taking time for herself helped. I always feel a sense of pride and I'm grateful when someone tells their story. I'm proud because I know how hard it… Continue reading Why Celebrity Mental Health Stories Matter
A question I'm asked often is "were all your children planned?" - the short answer is yes they were....I have 3 children very close in age, when my third baby was born I had 3 under 3yrs. During that time I struggled with severe postnatal depression and anxiety that was so bad I didn't leave… Continue reading Having another baby after Postnatal depression
My first taste of motherhood wasn't what I hoped. My daughter is nearly 5 and it's taken me the best part of 4 of those years to make peace with the desperate sense of loss I felt at not enjoying the first precious years with my baby. In previous posts I've explained how postnatal depression… Continue reading Moving on after Postnatal Depression..
Although I am recovered, I think I will always have some degree of anxiety left behind. It's normal for everyone to have anxiety, it's dates back to our caveman days when we sensed danger, our body pumped extra adrenaline giving us our fight or flight response. Obviously we don't really need this anymore, but when… Continue reading Anxiety After Recovery ..
Author of "Happily Ever After : My Journey with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Mental Health | Family | Parenting | Real Life
Evie Canavan BEM is the award winning Co-Founder and National Coordinator of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. Having experienced Postpartum Psychosis after the birth of her son, she is a leading voice of the support families need in the perinatal period.
Mental Health, Emotional Wellbeing and Self-Care For Parents
Lotus Petal 