Mental Health and Women’s Health Care

May is both Mental Health Awareness and Women’s Health Care Month. As women we often end up in the care taking role of those with mental health issues of all ages. There are many business and professional women who quietly juggle the mental health of their family members. There is still so much stigma attached to mental illness and it often results in a lack of discussion about the struggles that both caregivers and patients go through on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Mental illness often has a medical component to it, an underlying cause that results in complex treatment scenarios. According to the Mental Health Foundation, women are three times more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime.

As an individual, I have more than a few close family members and friends struggling with mental health. Over the past few months, I have wondered what my peers would say if I let them know about my struggles as a caregiver in the same vein that we talk about other illnesses, like cancer. As a new mother, I struggled with postpartum depression, and I still deal with anxiety attacks. Let’s take this component of Women’s Health and put some light on it. It is my hope that our small community can try to reduce the stigma of mental health, at least within our organization.

Our organization has the propensity to inspire, empower, and connect members as we work together for gender equity. We can nurture our connections by starting with compassion, grace, and active listening. Members of this organization motivate others by finding a path in BPW that makes this community a vibrant part of their lives. A simple spark of an idea can turn into an international project, a national initiative, or an influential local program. As business and professional women, we can nurture each other’s ideas and potential while acknowledging our limitations. Our network connects us to phenomenal people and unique opportunities. We have a community of members on which we can rely for both expertise on subjects and ears to listen.

Please remember, you have an opportunity to provide constructive input and to find your own unique path in this organization. This is a chance to develop your potential, and that of NFBPWC, in a safe and welcoming space. Please continue to bring your ideas, projects, and your own light forward. Let us celebrate our successes as individuals and as an organization! Please accept my personal invitation to all BPW Michigan members to join us at our Biennial Conference in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, or our Hybrid option, July 18-21, 2024. Look for details on our website: www.nfbpwc.org.

We offer a community to each other, one in which we can find solace and solutions. And let us not forget to be kind and accepting of each member’s journey in this organization as we endure these extraordinary moments of history (and herstory). NFBPWC is truly living our theme for this biennium: Cultivate Connections, Create Community. Sending personal wishes of celebration, health, and progress around the globe!

Kind Regards,

Megan Shellman-Rickard

NBPWC President (2020-2024)