In Virginia, 1 out of 8 mothers experience maternal mental health conditions.
And especially among Black and Brown mothers, mental health conditions like post-partum depression, are much more commonly experienced, but less likely to be addressed, diagnosed, or treated.
Last summer, we launched a new program in collaboration with the Virginia Health Care Foundation, called It Takes a Village. This program supports expectant and new mothers with counseling for those experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, or grief.
One of those mothers, Dreaa, experienced a complicated and ultimately traumatic pregnancy, resulting in the passing of her newborn last year. In addition to her physical health, her mental health was at risk. Through the layers of grief, losing her job, anxiety, and feeling alone, she found the strength to ask for help.
Through our programs and her telehealth sessions with our clinician, Dreaa has made incredible progress finding healthy coping skills and the confidence and support to work through processing extremely difficult feelings.
“[Drea’s clinician] took me from being a hot mess to being calm, cool, collecting, cordial, being able to talk calmly and collectively without crying or getting angry or being frustrated about everything”
She stated that her clinicians created such a safe environment for her to grow without judgment or fear. And those relationships helped to keep Dreaa grounded and present, allowing her to transform and flourish through her trauma.
Throughout her healing journey, Dreaa found calmness and peace with gardening. She draws, colors, sings, bakes, dances, and runs when she feels anxiety coming on. In her words, “my motto is, you can’t have anxiety if you’re already out of breath. That’s my literal saying. Like I look at my boyfriend all the time, right when I feel it…and I’ll go for a run.” She states that the phsycial exercise, like running or dancing, helps her regulate her breathing, ultimately calming down her anxiety.
Dreaa’s message for others: Do not be afraid to ask for help.
“Asking for help could literally be the one thing that could lead you to the path of the light. I know it might seem like it’s dark right now, but then that light at the end of the tunnel, you just gotta chase it, so don’t be scared.”
Stories like Dreaa’s are a reminder that asking for help is not a weakness. It’s a sign of courage and one of the bravest decisions someone can make.
