Mental health disorders cause many to suffer in silence, leaving friends and family members often unaware of the dangers that can arise.
Thoughts that lead to suicide is one of the more severe outcomes of people who suffer in silence and proper education, according to Marsha Bailey, founder of Care Parenting, is necessary to tackle the stigma attached to mental illnesses.
The public’s interest was piqued to one of these problems when a young mother fell to her death earlier this week.
The woman’s family attributed the incident to Post-Partum Depression, saying they were unaware the situation was so bad and they thought she was grieving the deaths of her grandfather-in-law and grandfather.
PPD is experienced in one to two of every 1,000 mothers soon after delivering a baby. They experience depression, sadness and feelings of hopelessness among other mood changes that can last from three months to one year.
In severe cases a mother can have serious suicidal thoughts or have thoughts of harming her baby.
Bailey told the T&T Guardian she was outraged when she saw comments on social media that revealed an ignorance by some to this real mental health condition.
She recalls one person saying “What really going on in this place, all of us had children and we coped, we managed,” but Bailey contended:
“It speaks to how ignorant we are about mental illness. It shows we are not aware that this is a condition. We have more empathy for those who have diabetes, and that is a controllable disease, but none towards those who have genuine hormonal imbalances, conditions with no control.
“Do these people look into what the conditions are? Do they at least google it? Are they trying to figure out what it is?” she asked.
She added: “This PPD case is not a one-off thing. According to CDC, 11 to 20 per cent of women who give birth each year experience PPD.
“I have not gone through it personally but to not experience joy at a time when most women are experiencing the highest point of womanhood is unimaginable.
“I cannot imagine what it would be like to have everyone around you going like ‘Oh my goodness, congratulations’ and feeling overwhelmed and depressed. And to know
that someone could commit suicide over it…”
The founder and author of a children’s book, Bailey said the incident prompted her to organise a public gathering today to raise awareness of PPD and other mental problems that lead people to “suffer in silence” daily.
She said as they recognise World Suicide Prevention Day (today), members of Care Parenting were hosting the gathering for all those affected or who knew someone affected by mental illnesses.
They are asking people to come out from 5 pm to 5.30 pm at the Queen’s Park Savannah when some mothers will share their stories.