Why I Climb

#WhyIClimb - it's two- fold and it's simple. To raise awareness for Postparum Depression and Anxiety. To let other mama's know that I survived PPD and they can to. And I walk to remind myself of how far I've come. 

9 years ago when my daughter was born, I had never heard of PPD. So when my daughter was 5 months old and I started feeling not right, I didn't even know that perhaps I had PPD. I suffered with this difficult disorder, not even realizing that there was something I could do about it for so many months. 10 months to be exact before I got help.

As the days of depression and anxiety and intrusive thoughts turned into months and years, I remember telling my husband over and over, "I need to find someone who has survived this. I need to find someone who has lived through this and is OK. I need to know that I will be better some day."

The honest truth - I never found anyone. And so my road of healing with the help of medication, therapy and counseling was a very lonely road - filled with so many thoughts of uncertainty, confusion, fear and doubt. I needed that woman in my life who had lived through a perinatal mood disorder to tell me that I was going to be ok. 

I am driven each day to be that person that I could never find to help and support another mama in pain. #WhyIClimb -  I want to be so outspoken about PPD that mama's know to call me, to find me on Facebook, to ask to talk to me. I want to be that voice in a new mama's mind, as she is wondering if she will make it through one more day of living in what I called "hell" or living a life where every moment is filled with dread.

That was my reality for 5 years. It was during this time that I found Postpartum Progress's blog and my world opened up. I found women like me and it was the most incredible feeling. 

If you need help, please feel free to reach out to me. If you want to know more about Climb out of the Darkness, click here: http://postpartumprogress.org/climb-out-of-the-darkness/ and to join a climb and raise awareness click here: http://postpartumprogress.org/climb-out-of.../find-a-climb/.

All it takes is one person to stand up and say, "I'm here. I can help" I do that each year as I plan and lead our walk locally. #ClimbOut is just amazing!