After my daughter Sally was born, I stopped sleeping. During the day, I had a hard time looking at my baby because I didn’t feel like I could take care of myself, let alone her. Up to this point, I had managed my natural melancholy okay on my own, but after a terrifying panic attack, I reached out for professional help.

I attribute my quick decision to get help to my older sister, Sarah, who has fought mental illness since she was a young teenager.

This time of year can be especially difficult for many emotionally. That’s why I’m dedicating three episodes to the focus on mental health in motherhood. On Monday, you heard Sarah and I discuss depression in motherhood. Today’s episode is focused on how to get professional help. Next week, you’ll hear from Sarah’s husband, Logan, about how to support a loved one who’s struggling with mental illness.

In this second episode of the series, we discuss:

- A practical tip to help you stay honest with your doctor & therapist

- A few helpful thoughts if you’re scared to try medication.

- Two kinds of therapy you might not have thought about before.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

Whether you are struggling with mental illness or you have a loved one who is, I hope you find this series of episodes helpful.

[Free Download ] Guide to Nurturing Yourself when Managing Depression // To support you even further, I’ve created a packet that includes actionable ways to support yourself in depression and how to support a loved one who is struggling, as well as a QR code that links to a private playlist of all of the episodes I’ve released about mental illness.

Whatever battles you’re fighting right now, my friend, I want you to know you’re not alone.

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Announcements:

To receive the guide I created with actionable ways to support yourself or a loved one with mental illness, click here.

Related Episodes:

414: Feeling Low Right Now? 3 Tools to Help You Cope // Sarah McKenna

319: Three Tools I Use to Manage Anxiety and Depression

184: Living Well with Depression & Anxiety // Jenny Showalter

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415: How to Get Help for Mental Illness // Sarah McKenna