Women and Mental Health
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Top level
Community Health
Services
Women's Health
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Everyone has mental health, that doesn't mean we are mental, it means we need to take care of ourselves so that we feel well and able to cope. Ways of keeping yourself well include getting help, mixing with others, laughing and exercise. Talk to workers at community health if you feel like you are going 'crazy' - we can help find ways to support you to feel better and more able to manage.
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Women are seen as the nurturers in our society and so by default, are often expected to take care of everyone else's mental health, often at the expense of our own.
When we fall exhausted and worn out into a list of behaviours, which may include crying, shouting, running away, thinking and/or saying unusual things, sleeping all day or doing nothing - it is easy for us to be labelled "crazy", and often easy for us to believe it!
One of the most powerful metaphors that was given to me about my own mental health came from a friend who was concerned about how much I was doing for others and how tired I was getting. She reminded me of the safety blurb that is given from the front of a plane before take off - "in the event that oxygen masks drop from above during depressurisation, please ensure that your own mask is in place before assisting others". They say that because if you don't help yourself first, you may not be able to help anyone. It's a really hard message for those of us who have been brought up to think that we are on this planet to make sure that everyone else is ok!
For those of us who have been in that place of feeling utterly worthless, try and find at least one person who believes in you and tells you so, so that you can maybe start to believe in yourself again. Everyone is worthy and has something to offer. Those who tell you otherwise often need to keep you under their control so that you can meet their needs. They are not interested in your needs and you can end up feeling guilty for having any!
A friend gave me a beautiful saying that I keep on my notice board in front of me.
"Feeling scared, pressurred, humiliated, or comtrolled is never the result of being loved. Being loved leads you to feeling safe, valued and free to be who you really are"
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You are what you eat
Eat Healthy!
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