We live in a democratic country hence we breathe amidst the irony in our daily life. Now, what it has to do with Women and Health? Provided the fact be it, men or women, we all go through a lot of stress, face competitive environment, are judged, criticized, have financial burdens and family expectations and a lot to go through in a single day.

Men are presumed as the stronger species hence they are sometimes not allowed to express their emotions whereas women are supposed to manage things beautifully and perfectly in every phase of their life, where they don’t even have the courage to acknowledge their strange and devasted feelings.

Also read: Men’s Health Week 2019

When it comes to dealing with the daily stress women are no less a victim of the stressful environment even if they are HOUSEWIFE/HOMEMAKERS, sitting in the comfort of their house, always wearing that bright smile to keep the environment of the house peaceful and joyful. Women’s Health is often neglected.

I deny this misconception people have against women who are at home, who are not working, who are looking after their children, house, and in-laws, that they don’t know what stress is.

Although Mental Stress effects Men and Women differently at a different level certain disorders like anxiety and depression are very common in women of all age.

What effects Women Health?

I will like to draw attention towards a few very common mental health condition almost every women goes through once in her life:

Postpartum Depression

The most common form of depression in women is the “Postpartum depression”. It is a mood disorder which occurs after the birth of a child. It certainly does not mean that a mother is not happy to deliver a baby, but it causes a lot of biological, physical and emotional changes in the mother.

They feel extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that may make it difficult for them to complete daily care activities for themselves or for others. Disorders like such only causes self-harm, lack of self-care and difficulty in managing the day to day activities in personal purview.

• Constant sleep deprivation can lead to physical discomfort and exhaustion, which can contribute to the symptoms of postpartum depression.
• Drop in the levels of hormones in a woman’s body leading to chemical changes in her brain that may trigger mood swings.
• Many new mothers do not get to rest after delivery, which is much needed to fully recover from giving birth.
• A lot of physical changes in the body.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Depression related to a woman’s menstrual cycle which leads to severe mood swings, anxiety, and negative thoughts present themselves in the week prior to the start of menstruation and dissipate once the menstrual period begins. It might disrupt normal daily functioning and could require medical attention in the long run.

What causes Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder?

• An abnormal reaction to normal hormone changes that happen with each menstrual cycle.
• Family history.

Persistent Depression

A milder form of depression wherein a woman feels low, weak and fatigued all the time. Reasons could be anything and everything right from a broken relationship, an unfulfilling career, inferiority complex, troubling in-laws, financial stress or any baggage of the past.

Although this is not much harm if it goes away in the shorter period through proper closures and counseling, the problem here is that due to the lack of Mental Health Awareness, none dare to read between the lines and hear those unspoken words.

I believe everyone going through such a situation tries to communicate her feelings, indicates something but we fail to understand and sometimes it gets converted into a bigger picture and becomes almost too complex to understand for anyone.

Right from the death of near one, physical or sexual abuse in childhood, job loss, divorce, the financial crisis there could be end number of reasons for a woman to go under that hiding zone, some become irritable, impatient and unpredictable and we label them as a badass.

What we can do raise Women Health Awareness ?

We can simply start by being present, being an active listener, being more attentive to our surrounding and people living near us. We never know we might save a tragedy. Its time to talk when you see the below mentioned persistent symptoms in an individual, especially if you know that person it becomes easy for you to gauge her before and after behavior:

• Inability to concentrate or remember things
• Irritable and exhausted easily
• Terrible mood swings
• Always tensed and worried
• Loss of interest in everything
• Turning to be less social
• Sad, anxious and hopeless all the time

We as women, if want to change the quality of our life, whether we are going through such similar situations or know someone might be going through it, its time to talk, the first step is to talk and vent out and if still the problem persists then seek medical attention.

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In addition to medications and therapy, few below-mentioned self-help techniques can be helpful too:

• Find a support group and open up
• Stay engaged in social activities
• Exercise regularly
• Get enough sleep
• Meditate, try yoga, or practice other relaxation techniques

There is no harm in taking care of your mental health, your body needs you too. If we ignore the signs which our body is giving us then we might end up in a no-hope zone forever, so ladies take charge of your life, and as Maya Angelou says, ‘Let nothing dim the light which shines from within’.

Self Love is not Selfish.

A featured post at Momspresso

Much love and gratitude

Priyanka

#virtualsiyahi