Climb out of Darkness: Local organization raising awareness on postpartum mental disorders

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. – Postpartum depression and many other mental illnesses can affect a mother after having a child. Climb out of Darkness- Team Middle Georgia is an organization that is trying to help parents with their mental health and raising children.

The organization hosted an event Saturday morning at North Peach Park in Byron. The event lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., including many activities for kids and resources for parents.

Many sponsors and local businesses from Houston County supported the event, including Lake Joy Haunted Trail which offered face painting for the kids, Lindsey Hopkins Art, Prime Baby Time Consulting and Operating MIST which were offering free back massages. Owner of the business Katherine Sylvester is also one of the leaders of the organization and helps mothers through the pregnancy process and those who suffer from postpartum depression.

The event also had giveaways including free Georgia Aquarium tickets and free tickets to the Macon Theater and Little Theater. Attendees also had the chance to win a $250 Lactation care and La Petite Boutique gift cards.

Perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, abbreviated as PMADS, affects both women and men. It includes postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum psychosis and many other disorders.

According to Allison Collins, who organized the event, Climb out of Darkness focuses on hosting national events which include activities like hiking, walking or climbing to symbolize their rise out of darkness. Any funds made from the event will go towards Postpartum Support International, another organization that supports pregnant and postpartum families.

Collins said it is a national event since the organization is statewide. As someone who has suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety, she wants to spread awareness of mental health with everyone in Middle Georgia, including Houston County.

“[It’s] to have an event where families who have been affected by any type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can come together. It can be affected presently; it can be past but just to come together and support each other and to build community for each other,” said Collins.

She added that she believes a lot of parents suffer in silence and it is not an issue that is talked about or has awareness.

“Just to know somebody else went through something similar is very powerful,” said Collins.

Collins said this is the sixth year their chapter has been organizing this event but they recently switched their name from Team Macon to Team Middle Georgia.

“We really wanted to make sure we were including all of the counties around the middle Georgia area which is why we chose to do it in Byron because it kind of a middle place and easy to get to right off the interstate,” said Collins.

She said she is one of three leaders and one of them is a Houston County resident named Britney Asbell. Collins said Asbell brought the organization to Georgia and is the driving force of their chapter.

To find out more about this organization and future events, visit https://www.facebook.com/cotdmiddlega.

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