For those of you struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety right now, I can only imagine the pressure you are feeling about the holidays.  You may wish you could just avoid them altogether, yet the train keeps coming down the tracks and there’s no avoiding it.

I suffered from postpartum depression all through the holidays in 2001 — Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas — since my son was born in September. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember much of it.  I have a picture of him squirming in his Halloween costume.  I have no record of Thanksgiving.  All I can remember of Christmas is having to take my son out of his special outfit that morning because he had a diaper blowout within 5 minutes of putting it on. No memories of what we gave him for gifts. I don’t think we even have pics of that day.

It’s hard to have postpartum depression and not be able to experience the same joy everyone around you is experiencing. No doubt about it.  So I wanted to share some resources that might help:

Therese Borchard of Beyond Blue, in partnership with ShareWIK, has put together a 4-minute video about getting through this season while suffering from mental illness. I think it is wonderful, and gives you permission to be who you are, where you are, during this time, as well as tips on how to get through it. Her husband appears in it as well. Watch it, with your spouse or partner if you can.

Update: Wendy McDowell also sent in this link with tips on coping during the holidays.