Psychologist Cathy Guillaume, who recently moved her family to Mauritius, talks about her painful experience of maternal burn-out.
I lived it…
While Alex (4) and his big brother Lucas (7) are currently doing very well, as is their mom, this wasn’t always the case. Alex’s health problems at birth plunged the family into turmoil… and the mother into maternal burn-out. A long quarter of exhaustion, incomprehension, guilt, shame… but an electroshock!
“Through this burn-out, I got to know myself! I discovered the woman I wanted to be and understood that it’s not normal for a mother to forget herself. The more a woman takes care of herself, the better she can take care of others and her family.”
I can help…
Today, Cathy feels invested with a mission of prevention and support, and is preparing conferences and support programs for women. There’s a real need here,” she says, “among women who live in remote areas or who are expatriates and don’t dare talk about it… You can’t get rid of your problems by moving to another country!
Her third child, the book Stop maternal burn-outthe method for moving from exhaustion to fulfillment, on sale here soon. Precious and singular testimonials reveal that that it’s okay to… be interviewed while dad looks after the kids, for example!
Daring to look at one’s flaws, accepting support, dismantling the beliefs that one must inevitably sacrifice oneself for one’s children… is tantamount to breaking age-old taboos and claiming a right: the right to no longer suffer, to no longer pretend!
