05/09/2021
Today is my birthday and I’m giving myself the gift of mental health.✨
In my 20 years of dancing with depression & anxiety, these past couple have by far been the most trying.
After multiple pregnancies, the start of COVID & high stress co-parenting, concern for Amélie in utero, a horrific C-section delivery, and a super rough postpartum, I was STRUGGLING … no, I was BREAKING.
I told people I was having a hard time and needed more support, including the nurses at my and Amélie’s wellness visits, but no one was REALLY hearing me or knew what to do. I just kept being told “Yeah, babies are hard” or “you should try counseling,” but all the counseling facilities are FULL.
Babies are hard, but no one should have to live the way that I was trying to survive. Things got really bad before I could chose to go seek help on my own, but I’m so glad that I did.
Thank you so much to the friends and family I have been reaching out to during this process. Thank you to the amazing people at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, who are set up to see folx for walk-in visits, like an urgent care for your brain. Thank you to the nurse-practitioner who took my concerns to heart and helped me find a medication that I feel comfortable to start using. And thank you to Kevin for being open to forgiving the harm that I have caused.
If you are local to Portland and in need of support: Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare Urgent Walk-in Clinic, 4212 SE Division St.
Multnomah County Crisis Line: (503) 988-4888
National Su***de Prevention Lifeline: (800)-273-8255
❤️ YOU ARE NOT ALONE ❤️