Parents, children and support practitioners gathered in Millennium Park last week for Step Into the Light, a wellness fair for parental mental health.
At least one in seven new parents struggle with some form of mental health issue.
“It is really common,” said event organizer and Kootenay Family Place facilitator Lauren Andres. “That is just statistically — that is not including all of the people that don’t come forward.”
One of the goals of the event is to normalize talk about postpartum depression and parental mental health.
“People feel really alone and we want to make sure it is something that can be talked about. There are resources and there is support and we want to normalize that conversation,” said Andres.
She encourages anyone who is struggling to reach out for support.
“Start by telling somebody, anybody, is step one,” she said.
A visit to a family doctor is a good starting point, as they can refer you to other services and prescribe medication when needed. Andres encourages that if doctors aren’t your go-to person, then tell another health service provider.
Kootenay Family Place offers Beautiful Beginnings — a weekly drop-in program for parents and the next Motherwise support group session will be starting up in the fall contact Andres at cpnp@kootenayfamilyplace.org or 778-460-5103 for more information.
