I asked, you answered…
“As someone dealing with depression and anxiety, how can/could people around you best help?”
- “I would have loved if people treated me the same not walked on eggs shells when they found out or when I shared that I was struggling.”
- “If you don’t know what to do or say, it’s okay to just say, ‘that really sucks, I’m so sorry.'”
- “I would love for people to not be afraid to ask ‘how are you doing?’ and be prepared that it may not be pretty.”
- “If people could invite me to or create opportunities for non alcoholic social/going out activities.”
- “I wish someone who have opened up with me about their PPD and then followed up with asking me how I’m doing through the first month of having my baby so I felt comfortable to truly express my feelings of depression, resentment, and struggle to connect with my baby.”
- “I want people to ask how I am doing instead of just how the baby is doing.”
- “I would have loved for someone to suggest I start therapy before having my baby.”
- “If someone would ask, ‘when can I come help you,’ instead of ‘let me know if you need help.'”
- “I want it to be okay for people to be sad with me. To say it’s ok to not be okay, to not rush my healing process.”
- “For someone to offer to take my kids for the day or night so that my husband and I could go out.”
- “I couldn’t ask for but would have loved: dinner for the kids, a trusted babysitter for a few hours, text check-ins, and freezer meals.”
- “I wish someone would have encourage me sooner to get professional help and medication.”
- “If someone would have offered to do my dishes, help clean my house, do laundry, etc. when I couldn’t.”
- “I would have loved someone to just come hang out with me without the expectation of conversation or an activity.”
- “Not to say ‘let me know if I can bring food or anything’ but ‘I’m planning on bringing dinner Thursday. Just making sure lasagna is okay with you all?'”
- “I want people to avoid toxic positivity, no ‘good vibes only,’ please.”
- “To be asked how I can best express my feelings to them (i.e. writing it down).”
- “To not be treated like something needs to be fixed right away.”
- “If someone would have offered to bring by dinner or to help with meals, that would have been such a big help.”
- “I wish someone would just listen instead of immediately trying to offer what they saw as solutions.”
Thanks for being here,
Regan
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