I was recently perusing through one of the local newspapers and spotted an ad from Yad Rachel. You weren’t asking for donations, your weren’t hosting a dinner, and you weren’t advertising a Chinese Auction. Your ad was inviting all women who are experiencing pre or postpartum distress/depression to reach out to you for help. The advertisement brought back a rush of memories- all the way back when I was in 8th grade. My mother had given birth to our youngest, and everyone knew there was something wrong. My mother was completely not herself, constantly crying, and was hardly talking. I didn’t understand at the time what it was that she was going through, and I thought that I could do something to help the situation. I took to cleaning the house from top to bottom, bathing and caring for my younger siblings, and acting as the mommy at bedtime. All the while waiting for that expression of thanks from my mother. None was forthcoming. This continued for weeks, and I felt like I would crack. That’s when Yad Rachel, then a fairly new organization stepped in. Someone started coming to make suppers, someone got the extended family to get involved to come […]

By: A grateful Yad Rachel client who struggled with and overcame postpartum depression. It’s hard to accept when i always EXPECT!! I know that my expectations are unrealistic. I expect my life to go according to my script that I have personally designed and imagined with all the details included. It’s hard to accept when I’m rigid with my planning and curve balls keep getting in the way. And so… When I expect to feel calm, relaxed, and clear when my mind just cant get there, I have a hard time accepting the fragmented, anxious, jittery feelings. It surprises me that these moods can come at serene times and catch me off guard. It makes me feel so frustrated why I’m feeling anxious without a person or situation to put the blame on. It’s at these moments that I’m learning to ACCEPT. I must accept that it’s okay to feel down, moody and fragile for a period of time or days. I must accept these moods, and view them as a heavenly sent situation that comes and goes according to his will. When I berate myself for feeling so “yucky” it only prolongs my situation and pulls me down further […]

The following essays were sent to us by a grateful Yad Rachel client who struggled with and overcame postpartum anxiety. Feel free to respond, comment and share your thoughts! Please note: All views and opinions expressed do not necessarily state or reflect those of Yad Rachel.   Don’t Label Until I was faced with the challenge of anxiety, I viewed the term anxiety and depression as a scary mental disorder that only happens to “someone” else. While experiencing the symptoms, the actual word anxiety and panic were so provoking that just reading or hearing THAT word caused my mind to go into a tizzy. I remember sitting in the doctor’s office when the screen flashed the words “Anxiety” with strange pictures following. Instinctively, my blood pressure went up and my body broke out in a sweat. My “escape- panic” emotions engulfed me as I tried to stay composed in public. It took me quite some time to relax my mind and return to my normal self. After searching for a solution to prevent my intense reaction, it occurred to me that just by mentally switching the word anxiety to “a flash of worry that will soon dissipate,” made a world […]

Below is a letter we received detailing the woman’s journey through depression: Dear Readers, My childhood was a very happy one. I have loving parents, many brothers, and a sister who is very close to me. I excelled in school and at home. I gave my parents a lot of nachas and I was every teachers dream. I had friends. I had virtually no medical issues at all. After graduating, I b”h got a job and my employees were happy with me. I really enjoyed my work. I met my future husband and got engaged! I was very happy throughout my engagement. The day after my wedding, I awoke with a not so pleasant mood. It continued throughout sheva brachos. I guess I had a pretty rough adjustment. I felt horrible about myself and extremely inadequate. I cried a lot and had a hard time sleeping. At times, I was so miserable that I just wanted the earth to swallow me up- I told my husband that I will never be able to be a good mother and that I don’t want any kids. I knew I shouldn’t be thinking or saying those things, but I couldn’t help it. For […]