The Mumologist- 5 Questions

Me and Social Media.

To mark #mentalhealthawareness The Mumologist invited me and a number of others to share our experiences of mental health and social media. How social media has played a role in our mental health journey by answering 5 questions.

Below are my 5 questions and answers, and you can view the full series here.

What made you start sharing your mental health experiences online?

After the birth of my first son I had a difficult time processing his birth which lead to a PTSD diagnosis. I joined Instagram on a whim. I connected with those bravely sharing their battles which encourage me to start a blog and then candidly share my mental health experiences.

What have been the pros for you?

Knowing I am not alone, knowing I am helping others. Knowing that I am normalizing talking openly about mental health. Finding a support network.

What have been the cons for you?

At times social media can be a drain. It can lead to an inferiority complex when I am at my most vulnerbale , comparing myself to those glossy flat lay squares without taking into account the real life behind the squares. It has also been daunting for those in my life to read and what they may think of me.

Did your sharing online lead you to making any real life changes?

Yes. Joining Instagram I connected with other NICU/CHD parents and began to feel "normal". I also began to learn the signs to look out for, to not to be ashamed of my mental health issues or the fact I was on/needed medication. I knew when to get help when before I didn't and it festered. I became better educated and equipped because of others sharing their experiences.

Did it lead you to making any decisions about accessing professional or medical help?

Yes. I am now in therapy - something I wouldn't have approached beforehand. I saw others talking of the benefit of therepy which promoted me to start it too.

Comments

Dad's feel guilty too don't they?

Recently, there have been so many articles and posts about mum Guilt. As a NICU mum I felt beyond guilty when Elijah was born. Check out my Mum Guilt post on Selfish Mother. However, where is the dad guilt? Do dad's feel guilty? Or is this something us mums take upon ourselves to feel? Another thing as a mum we feel we have to take on (and then feel guilty about) because they don't? Is it a common mis conception that dad's don't feel guilty about anything? When you have a baby, guilt is a huge part of motherhood, it's almost instant. The whole breast vs bottle argument is thrust in your face once your baby is born and your decision is then criticized by anyone and everyone. Something that dad cannot really feel guilty about, if baby doesn't latch and you formula feed (I think whatever you want or have to do is fine!). As an equal partner in bringing the baby into this world and raising them, do dad's feel what we do? Are the...

Top 10 #Mumwins (okay 'win' may be abit of a stretch) of the week!

I have decided to do something a bit different, and update you all on what has been happening with us all this week. Hopefully, you get an insight that although I was a NICU Mum, I am also a Mum to a toddler as well. We are currently experiencing all things TODDLERDOM with my little Damien (666) seriously the older he gets the more worried I am he is the Omen! Here is the little bugger covered in Oreos shutting me out of the house and making me knock on the door to come in! It also is nice to show you all how far away our life is from the time he was in hospital. We are fast approaching his year anniversary post op which is mind blowing. At times its so nice just to be a Mum to a normal little boy, and talk to other parents (many of you on Instagram) and laugh about all things #parentlife. So here are my Top 10 Mum Wins (more like fails) that have been achieved this week. 1. We thought we got away with it, we got cocky...

The time Fajita night resulted in having a baby in a bath.

The newest Cockerill Do you all remember my ever so optimistic natural birth plan? You can read it here. However, spoiler alert, it didn’t happen. What did happen was something no one was expecting. Wednesday the 5 th July… a mundane sort of day spent cleaning the house and doing the weekly shop. With Greg going back to work the next day I was determined to make sure everything was ready for when this baby arrived! I was three days off my due date and still hadn’t had one single sign this baby was imminently coming. I had been receiving messages from quite a few people asking if baby was here yet. I was getting fed up as everything I had tried to induce labour failed miserably and every morning for the last two weeks I woke up disappointed I wasn’t in labour! I gave up, walking didn’t help, pineapple made me sick and I was beginning to tire of the raspberry leaf tea. This baby was staying put. In the evening I put Elijah bed, and we began to settle down for the eveni...

Vicki Cockerill - NICU MUM Blog

Search This Blog