Women’s mental health is not something that is paid a whole lot of attention to. It tends to be rather low on the priority list of women themselves, so tend to put their family and home and the needs of others first, before attending to their own.

In the bargain, sometimes a woman’s personal wellbeing and consequently mental health do not get the kind of attention that they deserve.

There are a number of reasons that can cause women in particular to have mental health problems which they may pay little attention to.

And it is these problems that could develop into more serious and graver problems that will not simply go away or cannot be wished or willed away:

  • Relationship stresses can greatly impact women’s mental health. An unhealthy or abusive relationship or the end of a relationship can cause more mental trauma than one may think, and could be the basis of long term problems.
  • Life altering events such as changing a job, moving to a new city, shifting homes, can all be powerful stressors and their impact is not to be undermined.
  • Having a baby can not only put great new pressures on a woman, it can actually be the cause of prenatal and post natal depression. The fact that a new baby creates new challenges and more work around the house can also stress a relationship between partners.
  • Bodily or health changes will bring about stresses. Puberty and menopause can cause tremendous changes, both physical and mental. Even a woman’s monthly period can cause a number of different problems such as mood swings, anxiety, irritability and stress.
  • Physical illnesses or diseases can be very stressful and could cause a woman to go into depression or it could be a combination of life events, brain chemicals, genes, hormones, and illness that give rise to mental problems.

The important thing is for women to take the time and attention to recognize that there is a problem and that is required here.

When a woman finds that she feels sad, depressed, anxious, or worried all the time, then she needs to recognize the presence of a problem. She needs to remember that it is not ‘All in her head’ and that it is not her fault either.

Suffering in silence or ignoring the problem or refusing to admit that it is there are all going to make the problem worse. There is no shame in admitting that sometimes we need help and in asking for it!