‘Falling apart’: Huge issue 1 in 6 Australians are battling

Throughout most of her life, Jaimi felt like she had everything together. As soon as she fell pregnant, her world turned upside down.

Many women expect that bringing a child into the world will be one of the happiest times of their entire lives.

While that might be true for some, the pivotal life experience can illicit a whole range of unexpected emotions that go against the norm of what society says new parents are meant to feel.

For mum Jaimi, while she was over the moon to become a mother, she never anticipated the psychological rollercoaster she was about to embark on.

The 31-year-old from Sydney explained that for as long as she could remember, she had felt like she was simply an “anxious person” and did not realise it could be a mental health issue.

Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needs to have the most important conversation of their life.

Jaimi wants to raise awareness for anxiety and postnatal depression. Picture: Supplied

Diagnosed with anxiety and depression at 16, she went on medication for a while which helped, but was re-diagnosed when she 22 and living in London.

Despite these low points, Jaimi never felt like it was taking over her entire life. That is, until she fell pregnant.

What was once something that came in waves and she felt she could manage soon transformed into a debilitating illness that impacted every facet of her life.

“While pregnant with my son, I was hospitalised twice due to anxiety around my pregnancy.” the small business owner told news.com.au.

“I was incredibly scared that he wasn’t okay and kept having intrusive thoughts that I had miscarried.

“It was traumatising and incredibly scary. I had panic attacks and was so overwhelmed with fear that I couldn’t shake the feelings I had or try to calm myself.

“It certainly didn’t help that we were in lockdown at the time.”

Jaimi wants more awareness for postnatal depression and anxiety. Picture: Supplied

After giving birth to her son in 2022, the feelings only intensified, and she was diagnosed with postnatal depression and anxiety.

“I was incredibly overwhelmed and worried about my son,” she recalled.

“Checking on him constantly to see if he was breathing, completely consumed by how much he was eating and constantly stressed to the point of tears that he wasn’t eating enough.

“I was really struggling and having a baby made my anxiety so much worse than it had ever been.

“I could no longer ignore it or pass it off as fears of a new mother. It was debilitating and affecting my relationship with my husband and son.

Pregnancy can be a difficult time for many mothers. Picture: iStock

“It was prolonged and didn’t go away or get better. My son’s eating was a really big part of my anxiety as I was incredibly stressed about him putting on weight and being healthy.

“I had a lot of issues with breastfeeding and this was a massive trigger for me and definitely contributed to my anxiety.

“I was an emotional wreck and so consumed with guilt and worry that I was just falling apart.”

The experience of being a new mum paired with crippling anxiety and postnatal depression was one of the most difficult times of Jaimi’s life.

She explained that it felt like a constant “heavy weight” that she just could not shake.

“For me, it just felt like a heavy weight, weighing me down constantly,” she revealed.

“I couldn’t get rid of this really heavy feeling. It is so debilitating and you feel like no one else around you understands.

“I couldn’t explain my fears or feelings properly which only made things more difficult. I didn’t know what I was feeling as this was a totally overwhelming situation that I hadn’t ever faced.

“I just felt like everything was dark and heavy, even when people were there, the world around me felt isolating and dark.”

Thankfully, Jaimi’s GP caught on that something wasn’t quite right when she went in for her newborn’s immunisations and requested a follow up appointment.

It was then she was officially diagnosed with postnatal depression and anxiety. Thanks to her doctor picking up on the signs, she was able to get the help she needed.

She is now expecting her second baby. Picture: Supplied

“I was put on medication which was a tremendous help,” she said.

“I’ve been medicated ever since and it is an incredible help and relief. I later saw a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with ADHD, which often has depression and anxiety attached as symptoms.

“This is something I didn’t know and wish more people understood.”

The mum is currently pregnant with her second child and thankfully, it has been smooth-sailing.

“The medication helped tremendously and I feel like I have my symptoms under control, even now while I’m pregnant,” she said.

It is always important to speak to your GP about any mental health symptoms. Picture: iStock

“Pregnancy was a huge source of anxiety for me and this pregnancy has been so much better in terms of my anxiety.

“I feel a lot lighter, I’m more calm and I am feeling excited about it this time around.”

Jaimi is sharing her story to help raise awareness for PND and anxiety and hopes that it can help others feel less alone in their struggles.

“People think of mental health as a ‘buzzword’ rather than a debilitating disease that affects far more people than it seems,” she added.

“Anxiety can be completely overwhelming and consuming and can seriously affect a person and their loved ones lives.

“I want people to understand that they’re not alone. There is support and you can find a community of people who will help you, even when others won’t.

“You shouldn’t live in a constant state of anxiety, worry and isolation.”

Originally published as ‘Falling apart’: Huge issue 1 in 6 Australians are battling