IWD: health & wellbeing
Women’s Mental Health on International Women’s Day
The pandemic has not been kind to women. Many of us use our female friends and relatives as our support and that has been taken away from us. We cannot see our GPs face to face and the problems we are facing may not be easy to convey over the phone.
The theme of International Women’s Day is Choose to Challenge, but maybe life is the challenge you are facing today.
- The struggle with being isolated.
- The struggle with children homeschooling.
- The struggle of rising anxiety, you do not want to be trapped indoors any longer, but being around people is terrifying.
- The struggle of a new baby without a support network around you, the tiredness, the worry, ‘Am I doing this right?’
- The struggle of the parent with dementia who may be living with you, or who you have not been able to visit for months.
- The struggle to survive having lost your income, lost your job, will you still have roof over your head at the end of all of this.
- The struggle to access mental health services, see a counsellor, get medication for yourself or a family member.
- The struggle of an abusive partner or family member.
- The struggle of the juggling act, work, home, family time to just be.
We must end these inequalities and stigmas that women continue to face, we should also be advocating breastfeeding and not shaming these mums who choose to do this.
Support and advice is out there from many organisations – please never feel you are alone because you really do matter.
