A fundraiser is set for Saturday to highlight a mental health disorder that mainly occurs during or after pregnancy.
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is something that many people don’t talk about. The Sounds of Silence walk on Saturday in Brightwaters plans to bring awareness to pregnancy-related depression and anxiety.
Erin Mascaro knows the heartbreak caused by mental illness after losing two sisters. Mascaro says her sister Lisa was pregnant when her family realized something was wrong.
“She started experiencing anxiety during her pregnancy and then after she gave birth to her daughter she suffered postpartum depression,” says Mascaro.
Mascaro was hospitalized for perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. She says her sister didn’t understand why more people didn’t talk about the disease, so they started the Sounds of Silence run to ensure that people know they are not alone.
Mascaro lost both her sisters to depression.
“The statistic that we here is between 15 and 20% of women will experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder. Our hunch is that that’s probably much higher, but women are afraid to talk about it out of fear that someone is going to take their baby away or guilt or the shame that comes that this is supposed to be the happiest time in our life,” says psychotherapist Michelle Button.
Button says perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is a treatable illness.
The walk takes place at 8 a.m. Funds from the walk will benefit the Postpartum Resource Center.