{"id":13,"date":"2021-02-02T11:36:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T11:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/134.122.102.56\/SAND\/test\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2024-11-19T05:32:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T05:32:31","slug":"tackling-mental-health-stigma","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/path-perinatal.eu\/uk\/tackling-mental-health-stigma\/","title":{"rendered":"Tackling mental health stigma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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PATH – UK<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Tackling mental health stigma<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Covid-19<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been particularly difficult over the past year. Many parenting groups haven\u2019t been able to continue face to face meetings but there are many online groups available. Take a look at our support services lists or speak with your health visitor for support networks that are near you.<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/i>Learn more<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
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Let\u2019s talk mental health<\/strong>
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Did you know that approximately 1 in 5 women will suffer from perinatal mental illnesses (PMI) during their pregnancy or in the year after the birth of their child?<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This period of pregnancy and up to a year after birth is called perinatal. Medical professionals therefore call any mental illness that you might suffer from, during this period, a perinatal mental illness or PMI, and it can include things such as postnatal depression and anxiety. If these mental health illnesses go untreated they can have a huge effect on the woman, their baby and their wider support network including their partner, family and friends.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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90% of women who are suffering with PMI do not receive the support they need, this may be because of the stigma associated with mental illness.
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We\u2019re inviting you to join us to end this stigma. Join us to help expectant and new parents be prepared for their journey, to understand perinatal mental illness and know where to find support if they need it.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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What can we do?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Parenting is hard and no one has a manual on how to do it successfully. Feeling overwhelmed or sad sometimes is completely normal, but when these feelings start to become more constant it might be because you are experiencing mild (and in some cases more severe) symptoms of a mental illness.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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There is nothing to be afraid of in seeking help if you need to \u2013 whether that\u2019s from your family, friends, healthcare professionals or your employer to help make everything a little more manageable.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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There are lots of different levels to PMI and it\u2019s common for expectant and new mums and dads to be experiencing symptoms. Just because you are feeling low doesn\u2019t mean that anyone thinks you are doing a bad job, it just means you might need a little bit of extra help for a while.
 
Lots of people are worried about speaking up because they\u2019re afraid of what people will think of them and put on a \u2018brave face.\u2019 This is not okay and we need to speak more openly about these feelings that so many of us have, so that we can help to break down this stigma associated with PMI and start conversations to help people to feel more supported and heard.
 
Let\u2019s work together to encourage new mums and their loved ones to talk about perinatal mental health. Let them know its ok to talk. Listen carefully and use our list of support services to reach out.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Meet Sandra and Mark<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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We have been working with Sandra Igwe, best-selling children\u2019s author and founder of The Motherhood Group, and Mark Williams, mental health campaigner and  founder of Fathers Reaching Out, to tell their stories of PMI and share our collective voice to reach those who might be suffering and unaware of how to seek the help they need.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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