Many women struggle silently with trauma, mental health issues, or personal needs that are unfulfilled. For some, pregnancy provides a wake-up call that it is time to make changes and work toward self-improvement. But why is prioritizing your mental health during pregnancy so important? Keep reading to find out the importance of mental health in pregnancy and how to find help, if needed.
Why Prioritize Mental Health During Pregnancy
Prioritizing your mental health during your pregnancy is essential for yourself and your new child.
Intergenerational Trauma
One of the big reasons to prioritize your mental health during pregnancy is to put an end to intergenerational trauma. Many women who struggle with substance abuse do so because of an underlying traumatic issue or a set of needs that are not being met.
It’s not uncommon for trauma to travel through the generations. While it might change in its severity or frequency from one generation to the next, women tend to carry intergenerational trauma with them, and without getting the right type of treatment, this can impact:
- Emotional regulation
- Personal mental health
- Mood
- Parenting styles
- Communication
Any impact on personal mental health, mood, or communication will potentially have an adverse effect on your children. Poor communication or limited emotional regulation because of trauma or undiagnosed mental health conditions can impede the success of your parenting or the way in which you are vulnerable and loving toward your child. This can further the intergenerational trauma experienced in your family line. However, you have the power to put an end to that.
Mental Health
Another big reason for prioritizing your mental health during your pregnancy is that mental health conditions often have a genetic link, whether it is:
- Bipolar disorder
- ADHD
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Personality disorders
Taking the time during your pregnancy to recognize that there are shared symptoms in other members of your family can open up a new world of possibility for you. This can provide you with the opportunity to learn healthy coping skills, get the right diagnosis and medication management services, and otherwise learn how to care for yourself while contending with an underlying mental health condition.
There is no time like the present to get a diagnosis and treatment for a suspected (or known) mental health disorder. Doing so can provide you with the education, tools, and resources to manage your condition effectively without letting it impede your parenting or strain your family. It will also put you in a position to help your children if they start to show signs of the same condition.
Getting Help Prioritizing Your Mental Health During Your Pregnancy
Once you recognize the importance of prioritizing your mental health during your pregnancy, you might realize that you need help setting goals and sticking to them.
At Casa Serena, we provide dual diagnosis treatment for women that specializes in care for women by women. Our residential and outpatient rehab for women offers unique programs for pregnant women that ensure treatment for mental health conditions or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse.
We provide community-driven, women-supporting-women programs, especially for pregnant women who need to find local resources. As a non-profit, we offer life skills training so that you can be prepared for motherhood and build a foundation for peer support and growth, which is essential to maintaining good mental health long after you have your child.
Our team understands that women need a safe place where they can understand their trauma, particularly the way in which that trauma impacts behavior. For that reason, we work hard to ensure that all clients are understood and loved and that women have a chance to prioritize their mental health during pregnancy so that they are able to provide for their children in the best way possible.
Overall, with the right type of treatment, you can prioritize your mental health during pregnancy. This will go a long way toward not only improving the way you feel on a daily basis but also how you can connect with others and support your family moving forward.
Contact Casa Serena to learn more about our outpatient rehab for women and how we support expectant mothers.