Postpartum Doula
Anna Wolfe
Mental health is an ongoing concern that many Canadians are faced with. In any given year, 1 in 5 people within Canada will face some form of mental health disorder*. It can affect people of all different ages, sex, ethnicity, educations, and income levels.
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Becoming a mother can bring another level of complications. The hormones that are created during pregnancy, and during the postpartum period can cause new challenges, or make old challenges worse. Sometimes these changes are short-term and go away with time and effort, and sometimes they linger and become something that the mother has to cope with throughout her life.
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Mental health concerns can be isolating. They can make you feel like you are the only person suffering, that no one will understand or relate to you, and make you question yourself on every decision and thought. While medication can help control and subdue some symptoms, one of the best things that can help mental health is having a good support network, whether it is friends and family, therapy, or even any like-minded individual who can really understand and relate to what you are going through.
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The belief in the evidence of what group therapy can do to improve ones mental health is where Azalea was born.
What is Azalea And How Was It Formed?
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Azalea is an online support group for Canadian mothers who suffer from mental health disorders. It is run by mothers struggling with their own mental health concerns, who have gone through help resources, and learnt techniques to cope with their symptoms. It acts as a confidential place that you can turn to when things are difficult. You can discuss your feelings, get advice from others who have gone through similar situations, and learn about the resources that are available to help you through this tough time, and any future times.
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As one of the founders of the group, I have suffered through my fair share of mental health concerns. Because of my history, my OBGYN referred me to the Perinatal Mental Health program at the Ottawa General Hospital. After birth I went through Postpartum Depression, and started my treatment in the program. There, I was placed into an Interpersonal Therapy group. Once a week, 5-8 mothers who all suffered from PPD would meet together with a psychologist and some residents. We brought our babies with us, as they are the key to our transition period, and we would discuss the happenings in our lives, how situations affect us, and how we are relating to the people around us, including our babies.
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Being through that program was like a breath of fresh air. While I was there, I learnt many coping techniques, and ways to safely and securely discuss my feelings and concerns with the people around me. I learnt the value of a community- after all humans are very social creatures who thrive when they come together.
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Near the end of my time there, I had a friend from my hometown reach out to me. She knew that I was struggling, and opened up about her own struggles. When we talked about my time in the program, we realized that there is gap in easily accessible resources for mothers in the digital space. Many people fly to social media to talk about everything in their lives, but it was hard to find a safe, confidential space to talk about mental health, and the challenges being a mother while coping with symptoms can bring. We decided to form Azalea, and have been working towards creating this space since.
How To Join
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Azalea welcomes all mothers living in Canada, who are suffering from ongoing mental health concerns. If you feel you could benefit from our group, even if you just want to give it a try, please follow the link below and "Request to Join"
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If you are currently facing a mental health crisis, please call your local emergency services, or one of the following Crisis Center Hotlines
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Distress Centre Ottawa & Region
Ottawa Distress Line: 613-238-3311
Outaouais Distress Line: 1-866-676-1080
Champlain Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-866-996-0991
Mental Health Crisis Line Grey & Bruce: 1-877-470-5200
Frontenac Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-855-477-2963
Website: www.dcottawa.on.ca
The Azalea Promise
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In Azalea, we promise to help you through you struggles in whatever way we can. We aim to create a judgment free, and confidential place where you can turn. Your admins will provide you with resources when needed, and will keep up with recent, evidence based coping techniques in order to help you work towards better mental health.
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Please note that we are not doctors, and should never be used in place of doctors. We are simply a supplementary support network, meant to work in conjunction with whatever treatments your doctor and you have decided on. While both administrators are working on building their credentials and education to help you in the best way they can, they do not have medical training.
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If you are currently in a mental health crisis, please contact your local emergency services, or call