11 Tips for surviving the Summer Break when you’re a parent with depression

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…

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The Tears Behind The Smiles

It really is so important not to judge others by their social media updates or compare ourselves to others, there's always a story behind the picture. I am always posting about social media and not to compare ourselves. I think with the summer term ending and the holidays coming up it's important to remind ourselves…

The Lonely Side Of Parenting

When you think of people who may be lonely, parents aren't probably the first who come to mind, but many are struggling with loneliness and isolation. I always imagined when I had children I would be out at baby groups, meeting new mummy friends at cafes and living a sociable, fun life. My reality couldn't…

The Embarrassing Symptoms of Anxiety…

Many people are aware of the symptoms of anxiety, but some can cause more embarrassment and worry, trapping sufferers in a cycle of fear. Mental illness affects people in a variety of ways, and many symptoms can manifest physically. These include:- - Shortness of breath - Feeling nauseous - Increased heartrate - Palpitations - Shaking…

What I’ve learnt from my Mental Health relapses…

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…

Thriving or Surviving?

5 years ago I was hanging on, living each day one dreaded day at a time. Everything felt too much, I was overwhelmed by responsibility, feeling completely empty of any positive emotion and anxious each second of the day. I was surviving, just. During 2011 I was a newlywed, pregnant with our first child, we…

Maternal Mental Health Matters May 2017

Monday 1st May marks the start of the first ever Maternal Mental Health Week run by the Perinatal Mental Health Partnership Over the coming week we will be sharing details about the various services available in Essex and how you can access them, some guest blog posts and information regarding maternal mental health. Please feel…

Losing The Unexpected

Sometimes in life we are surprised by an unexpected gift, and sometimes it can be cruelly snatched away. Occasionally though, these moments can also bring us clarity... *Trigger Warning - contains talk of miscarriage, please only read if you feel able* I've never been a great writer. I love reading but I don't have the…

Recovery – its individual

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…

Finding Your Tribe

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…