This mother’s powerful drawings are helping others cope with postpartum depression

Sometimes it is hard to put into words exactly what a mother feels when she’s in the middle of postpartum depression. That’s why artist and author Teresa Wong channeled her feelings into pictures as well in a graphic memoir called Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression.

Wong put her pen to paper, trying to draw out exactly how she felt after the birth of her first child, Scarlet. And what she felt is so relatable to so many moms.

From the swollen feet and massive hemorrhoids she was dealing with in the hospital after giving birth, to the mental load she carried out of the hospital, Wong’s story is the story of so many new mamas.

Told as a letter to her daughter Scarlet, Wong’s art shows women dealing with postpartum depression (PPD) they are not alone. It impacts as many as 1 in 7 mothers. It can make you feel like the person in the mirror is unrecognizable, but help is available.

At first, Wong’s doctor told her what she was feeling was just the baby blues, but PPD is so much more than that and needs to be taken seriously by doctors, mothers and their partners. If you find Wong’s comics a little too relatable, please say something.

You are not alone, and you can get help. Unfortunately, research suggests that many new mothers who need help don’t reach out to get it.

Wong got through her PPD, and now has three children and is a published author. You can get through it too, mama. You just need to let someone know if you are struggling.

Dear Scarlet: The Story of My Postpartum Depression is available on Amazon.

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