After Hannah Hardy-Jones had her first baby, she became very mentally unwell. She was diagnosed with bipolar and told her manic high would be followed by a depressive episode. Hannah opens up about her experience, and explains how this led to her creating an app for mothers…
depression
Family
“’I’m worried if I tell you how I’m feeling then you’ll take my daughter away’ I tell my GP. She reassures me that that’s not going to happen, that I’ve done the right thing and that she’s going to get me help.” Anna Ceesay, founder of Motherdom, on anxiety and depression during pregnancy…
Family
Samantha Valentine first wrote for The Early Hour while in the grips of postnatal depression. Now, a year on, she discusses the difficult journey she’s been on towards a recovery, of sorts….
Wellbeing
“My husband found me in the foetal position on the bathroom floor, hyperventilating. There was snot and spit running down my chin. I was pulling my hair. I felt like the water was coming in over my head.” Cat Sims on the reality of suffering with anxiety…
Wellbeing
Kerry Bartlett had her first child aged 21 and suffered with severe postnatal depression. To get through it, she focused on her new career as a freelance photographer. Here, she discusses her struggles and how she overcame them…
Wellbeing
A mother whose son suffered with an eating disorder, gaming addiction and depression during his teenage years is now helping other parents of children with mental health issues. We spoke to her about blaming herself and keeping it all secret…
Wellbeing
As a mother of young children, it can be hard to decipher the difference between finding things a bit hard and an actual mental health issue. The editor Annie Ridout shared a post on Instagram about how her anxiety manifests and was amazed (and troubled) by the response…
Family
When she was two years old, Susannah Birch’s mother cut her throat. She tells us about the childhood abuse she suffered, finding solace in the internet and then being groomed by an older man who she online dated for three years…
Family
Adele’s recent revelation about postnatal depression was a comfort to women the world over, as it showed that successful, talented, rich women can suffer too. But less talked about is paternal postnatal depression, affecting one in ten dads…
Mornings
“When you’re trying to get pregnant every small failure becomes a catastrophe. The arrival of your period is like an emotional apocalypse.” Jacki Badger on suffering acute anxiety and depression while trying to conceive her first baby…