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My Roller-Coaster Life

A True Story Of Stigma, Shame, Struggle, And The Ignorance Of Professionals.

Photo by Matthew Ball on Unsplash

This article tells the truth about the stigma, shame and struggle I experienced when dealing with violence, mental health, and parenting. I talk about how professionals handled the situation and what they ignored, including aspects of unprofessionalism when dealing with my case, which led to further difficult and dangerous circumstances.

MY FIRST CHILD

When I was pregnant with my first child, I wasn’t in the best position. I was in unstable housing and a relationship that was far from secure. I was unhappy on the inside, tired, anxious, panicking, worried and tearful. I found myself going from happy and content to feeling really depressed and having panic attacks. Here is what I got told when I tried speaking out:

• Pull yourself together.
• If you’re going to have a baby, you need to do better than this.
• You shouldn’t be having a child if it’s making you feel depressed.
• You need to change.
• You should never put yourself first as a parent.
• The violence is your fault.