Reading Roundup | July 30, 2021

Posted July 30, 2021

This week we look at mental health and parenthood.

• “Am I good mom? My anxiety made me question how I was raising my son — and passing it on” — Aileen Weintraub, NBC News (7/24/2021) [article]

  In this piece, Weintraub describes the way in which a difficult pregnancy, coupled with the anxiety her own mother expressed around parenting, lead to her own "helicopter parenting" method. Ultimately, although she realizes that she is parenting with her anxiety in the driver's seat, she understands that it takes a lot of effort (and assistance from therapy and other anxiety-mitigating practices) to temper her anxiety. This article speaks to how the fears of any parent can be amplified if you suffer from anxiety. The best takeaway is that you can only work on issues of anxiety by addressing them.

• “I Gave Birth, but My Husband Developed Postpartum Depression” — Kim Hooper, NY Times (7/19/2021) [article]

  Kim Hooper discusses her husband's struggle with postpartum depression. She notes that it took her some time to recognize that her husband was in fact depressed, given his history of being the member of their partnership who was less prone to depression in the past, and the fact that although 10% of new dads experience postpartum depression, it is not as widely recognized and discussed as new mothers' experiences with it. Even once recognized, her husband was opposed to seeking treatment. Eventually, with supportive encouragement, Hooper's husband was diagnosed and received care. She notes that it may all have been easier if society paid more attention to postpartum depression in fathers in the first place.