This is the most important thing you will read today: stories of 100% recovery from a perinatal mood disorder are not mythical unicorns. Recovery stories are numerous and they are real. Dr. Shosh’s work and the work of these parents who not only survived, but are thriving, is incredibly inspiring to me as I sit here writing on this rainy day. I couldn’t not share it with you.
Her question that I heard on a podcast recently, “Do you want to get back to your old self, or do you want to be a better version of yourself?” is everything. Yes, we need to validate our feelings and learn to take a curious observer stance with them, not judging them as they pass by our consciousness like clouds on the wind in a sky stormy one minute, blue the next; but sometimes, the best thing you can do is to replace the seemingly incessant worry, fear, negativity, sadness with stories that give you hope and teach you HOW to heal.
I want to be a better version of myself, not just for me, but for EV. I want a story that teaches her how to handle her feelings, how to continue to evolve and add to her coping skill set as life throws new challenges at her. I want to look up with expectancy on a dark day, envisioning the feeling of the sun on my face until that manifests into my reality.
