The Downside of Motherhood
They do the chores, they cook for the husband and the kids, they feed them and take care of them with warmth and love, they accompany the family until they close their eyes. It’s tiring, it’s stressful, but in the end of the day they flash a big smile on their faces. Some say that it’s ideal but I say it’s foolish. Mothers are not superwomen; they get tired and get sad too.
Their heavy sadness is a manifestation of post-natal syndrome. The pressure of motherhood is what drives them to be int his state, leaving them torn deep down. They no longer have much freedom to do what they want, pressured by the fact that they have do give their best shots in their responsibilities as a wife and as a mother, otherwise, unfriendly judgments will attack them.
Post and Antenatal Depression Association (PANDA) has stated this situation as a fact, and with a statistics of one out of six Australian mothers. And with the record of 200 people requesting for PANDA’s help each month, the state where these mothers experience should definitely not be turned down.
The influence of media also puts more pressure on the mothers, creating an idealism of what should they be like. And when things don’t go well, mothers feel frustrated about it.
Adelaide Academic Dr. Victoria Williamson leaves a powerful message on how post-natal depression may stop affecting the mothers. "I think firstly public education, about the reality of motherhood, so that those that don’t become depressed, but are just struggling with the normal adjustment process, can have a realistic idea of what to expect, with some ideas of resources if they need them, she contends. media needs to give more realistic portrayals of motherhood in newspapers and magazines and television programs. We need to debunk things such as the beauty myth and the superwoman myth and the myth of the perfect mother."
To read the entire article, check:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1416764
