Help for Women in Depression

Homemakers may be especially prone to depression due to isolation and the repetitive nature of homemaking. While I highly value the role of motherhood and of building and maintaining a happy home, homemakers should be encouraged to develop a stronger sense of identity outside the home. Without an identity broader than taking care of home and family, some women can be at risk for depression. This is not to say that many homemakers do not find a satisfying identity in being wives and mothers, but that it is a demanding job.

Women who work outside the home may lack stimulation too, due to trying to keep up with both workplace and family and feeling that they have no time for personal development. Therefore, the following suggestions can be helpful to any woman:

• If it's feasible, go back to school and enjoy the personal growth and mind enhancement education can provide.
• Become an avid reader. Books are a wonderful resource for expanding your mind and developing your identity.
• If time allows, engage in volunteer work and give yourself in service to people outside your home and/or workplace
• Maintain a strong commitment to spiritual development, which addresses issues of identity and provides a much broader perspective on our lives and on the function and roles we play in the lives of family members.
• If you are married, keep communication open with your husband about your needs for identity and to feel you are a growing person.
• Develop friendships with other women. The understanding and empathy of someone who's "been there" can help you put your situation in perspective.

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Background Information

Making Good Decisions
What to do about avoidance — one of the biggest time wasters around.

Safe at Home
Staying at home with the kids isn't necessarily the "easy way out" of working.

Questions and Answers

What would you and your wife do if the resources permitted her to stay at home after the kids were in school?
Answer

Do you feel it is still important to have Mom at home in the teen years?
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I love our baby a lot and wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, but I don't understand why I'm so depressed.
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I'm about to leave my position as a corporate executive to become a full-time, stay-at-home mom. What can I do to make this transition go smoothly?
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We need a little more income to make it in my family, but I have preschool children and don't want to seek employment outside the home. Is there an alternative for me to pursue?
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Review Frequently Asked Questions

Stories

How Motherhood Changed Me
One professional woman recounts her first few weeks at home, alone, with her new baby.

If you've been through a experience related to this topic, we invite you to share your story with others.
Share Your Story

Other Things to Consider

Even Though We Ain't Got Money…
That phrase – live on love – kept bringing to mind a song they played on the radio when I was a kid. I scoffed at its utter lack of common sense.

Following the Leader: Helping Your Husband Find His Place in the Home
Moms, do you ever wonder why dad doesn't "connect" with the family? Try these gentle nudges to help him find his place in your home.

Related Topics

Transitions: Changing Jobs, Moving

Relationships: Communication Gaps

Parenting Teens: Communication Problems

Life Applications

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Mommy Time
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Suggestions for Fathers of Small Children
Fathers, here are some practical ways to support the mother of your children.

What a New Mom Needs
When a new mother discovers her own community, she is finally able to transition into her new role as mother.