Notable tweets from the 09.05.11 #PPDChat.
| “ | Writing your story allows you to reflect on your experience and bring your story into physical existence. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | When you do decide to share, be authentic. Be real. Be unapologetically you. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | Deciding when and how to share is up to you. Don’t let anyone force you into sharing YOUR story. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | Speaking in front of 200+ strangers 3 years after suffering from postpartum psychosis was the most cathartic thing I’ve ever done. #PPDchat | |||
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| “ | @isalwayssick I find that each time I tell the story, it gets easier. It doesn’t own me, I own it. #PPDchat | |||
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| “ | @unxpctdblessing – That temptation to toss an infant through a window is more common than many mothers realize… #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | @unxpctdblessing – When I told a friend that I was tempted to throw the baby through a window for a moment too, she cried. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | @unxpctdblessing – and I told her "You’re not alone. A lot of moms feel that way, but you didn’t act on it. THAT’S what matters!" #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | Thoughts and actions are NOT the same. Thoughts are simply thoughts, and nothing more. Thoughts do not make you a bad person. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | I’ve seen mothers burst into tears when they hear they aren’t evil, horrible mothers b/c of how they were feeling. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | That realization comes from hearing someone else say "I felt that way too" #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | @isalwayssick So important for moms to know they are NOT evil for feeling depressed/anxious/etc #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | There’s a level of societal and personal expectation we place on ourselves. When we fail to live up to it, I think #PPD hits hard. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | …knowing that those expectations are pure crap & that other moms struggle too helps so much. Share your story when you can. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | My OCD was very hard to control pp. I am supermom! Did someone forget to tell me she doesn’t really exist. I can’t do it all! #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @DrBeckerSchutte my dh found it reassuring to talk to ppl IRL and find out how prevalent it was #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @signingcharity Oh, being a partner to someone with depression, especially PPD, is no cakewalk. They need support too! #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | #PPD can happen to anyone! It’s just important to get help and talk it out with someone you can trust. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | @unxpctdblessing @xtina_morrison Agree. Getting help is not an admission that you can’t cope – it’s you being realistic w ur situ #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @unxpctdblessing Yup. No one really wants to hear the bad, they just want to be polite I wrote a post on my ability to say I’m fine #PPDchat | |||
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| “ | Because other moms who have been through it can help you fight the shame and self-loathing that wells up. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | The hardest conversation is the one in which we admit we’re not okay to loved ones and friends. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @unxpctdblessing I think the hardest convo is with yourself. Admitting you’re struggling & in pain & being honest w yourself. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | Just talking to other mothers has helped #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I kept trying to deny it, after talking with other mothers I knew it was time to pay attention to what was going on #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @isalwayssick "I’m fine" and "I’m okay" are two red-flag codes for me. They’re what we say when we don’t feel safe. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I share my story at every childbirth class I teach. I want women to know it’s real & it’s okay to ask & get help. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | It’s important to surround yourself with people who care about you and will support you as you heal. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | Sharing our scary stories with others creates community while connecting all of us on the deepest level. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I think so often that oh how I wish I had Twitter when I was #ttc & when I had #ppd! I felt so alone, especially with the latter. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I remember how scared I was the first time I talked about my anger in a group. And how much lighter I felt afterwards. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | Naming the fear is a start, but it takes concrete support (therapist, pastor, family, friends) to step in & create healing. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I’m still guarded about what I say even anonymously. But this time around I think I’ve been more open overall. #PPDchat | |||
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| “ | @g8trgirl828 Ill be honest. Im not sure I can "go there" to write worst w/o being in therapy AND having real life support system. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I think that sharing is a huge piece of healing-a support group was what pulled me through the darkest time. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | Esp. since another round of friends seems to be having babies & I want them to know they don’t have to hide if something is "off" #PPDchat | |||
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| “ | I guess 1 fear is always not knowing who to trust with our sharing. If we don’t trust ourselves, how do we know who else to trust? #PPDchat | |||
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| “ | They’re not quite the same, the different kinds of screaming. One traps us in guilt, one gets us toward free. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | my motto is it’s better to look good then feel good but the lie is wearing me out I fear being exposed #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | When I was in the dark, I had to find people who were safe to tell that I was in the dark, then I could begin to look for light. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | When I was lost in the darkness, all I wanted was to talk to another mom. To know i was going to be okay and wasn’t abnormal. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I drove to a friend’s house when she admitted having #PPD. I shared my story w/ her, & she said it made a huge difference. #PPDChat | |||
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| “ | nobody has a clue what I’m feeling because I’m lying Smiles on the outside Screaming inside #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @xtina_morrison I know sometimes you have to put on a good face. But think how much it helps you when other moms don’t pretend. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @xtina_morrison I think we’re all afraid of being exposed. There are so many expectations on us, from inside & outside. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | @xtina_morrison It’s hard to admit we’re not okay. But an absolute necessity toward healing. #ppdchat | |||
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| “ | I know that when things got bad, I found some PPD moms’ blogs, and they really saved me. Which is why I want to write now. #ppdchat | |||
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Love this. I followed a long a bit yesterday because this topic is close to my heart, but was in and out so couldn’t really participate. But I know exactly how powerful sharing can be. It saved me.
Sharing our stories is one of the most powerful things we can do for ourselves and for others. It helps us own our experience and allows others to know they’re not alone.