Una Vita Bella

What mental wellness or mental health issues do you blog about?

I blog about living with depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as topics such as suicide and self-harm. Living beautifully in spite of mental health issues, making healthy choices, always finding hope while working through the really tough times with these issues are my areas of focus. I also write to inspire others to be active in health activism and advocacy for mental health issues like these.

If you could give other moms one tip on mental wellness, what would it be?

Don't ever give in to the belief that your children are better off without you or with a different mother. Your kids want you and need you, there is no replacement for you! Mental wellness depends on your belief in that and mental illness can easily rob you of it. Your mental wellness is worth working for and worth saving, so choose (even when it is most difficult) to live your healthiest life!

What mental wellness resources would you recommend for moms? (Support systems, specific websites...)

For moms dealing with Post-Partum depression and antenatal depression I highly recommend Post-partum Progress as well as the #ppdchat on Twitter. For connecting with others who care about Mental Health issues I recommend following the #mhsm hashtag and joining in on the #mhsm Mental Health and Social Media Chat Tuesday nights at 8pm Central on Twitter. There are a lot of great resources for moms and all people with mental health issues to be found on social networks like facebook and Twitter. Websites like HealthyPlace.com and Psychcentral that have support forums are fabulous places to find support and comfort as well. Another site I love is BandBackTogether. Additionally, great support and resources can be found on health activism sites like WEGOHealth, for those who want to be involved in spreading the word. Most importantly, don't forget to look to other bloggers who write about these same issues for compassion, understanding and support.

What are your favorite Blog Posts?

• I Just Want to Be Okay
• My Life in Pajamas
• Wearing Pain