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It can be really complicated when a woman receives a diagnosis of a mental health illness.
Women play really important roles within the family unit. They’re partners, they’re
mothers, they’re often care givers to elderly parents. And all of these different levels
are impacted when the woman is unable to really do the things that she normally would do within
a day. Women are often really reluctant to have someone
else take on what they consider to do their duties. Women really need to start to become
more comfortable with asking for help. We need to understand that there is no shame
and there should be no stigma with having a mental health diagnosis. We need to really
understand that while we try to protect those we care about by pretending to be well, these
people are clearly going to be aware that we’re not functioning at our optimal level.
These people are going to feel really frustrated because they know that something’s wrong,
but they’re not going to be able to help unless you let them in. Women need to feel
comfortable to sit down and talk to their partners and their extended family when they
don’t feel well. They also need to include these people in their health care; bring them
to appointments, make them aware of the medications they are taking, what the potential side effects
can be, and explain exactly what mental illness means. We all suffer from lack of understanding
and sharing knowledge can be empowering.