Is Parenting Really A Health Risk?
The Surgeon General Thinks So—Here’s What Overwhelmed Moms Can Do About It
Is being a mom a health risk? The U.S. Surgeon General’s recent statement may have you questioning everything. After all, we don’t often think of being a mom as something that could jeopardize our well-being. But when you break it down, it starts to make sense. Parenting today comes with endless demands and pressures, leaving many moms feeling more than just exhausted. It’s making them feel overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed. It’s time to delve deeper into the surprising truth about modern parenting. Keep reading to uncover how this revelation could change everything you thought you knew about being a mom.
If you’re an overwhelmed mom who feels like parenting is crushing your health and happiness, you’re not alone. In this post, we’ll explore why parenting is now seen as a health risk and its impact on mental health. We’ll also discuss how therapies like anxiety therapy, trauma therapy, and brainspotting can help you reclaim your well-being.
U.S. Surgeon General Statement
“Parents have a profound impact on the health of our children and the health of society. Yet parents and caregivers today face tremendous pressures, from familiar stressors such as worrying about their kids’ health and safety and financial concerns, to new challenges like navigating technology and social media, a youth mental health crisis, an epidemic of loneliness that has hit young people the hardest. As a father of two kids, I feel these pressures too,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
“With this Advisory, I am calling for a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents. I am also outlining policies, programs, and individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers.” ~US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
The Mental and Physical Toll of Parenting
For many moms, the experience of parenting doesn’t just involve loving your children and helping them grow. It’s also a 24/7 juggling act of managing emotions, household chores, work demands, and perhaps even your own trauma. The Surgeon General’s warning highlights that this non-stop pressure, when left unchecked, can take a serious toll on both mental and physical health.
Moms today often struggle with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic stress—all of which can weaken the immune system, increase the risk of heart disease, and contribute to long-term emotional exhaustion. Even more alarming is the increase in burnout, which many overwhelmed moms describe as feeling like you’re constantly running on empty but can never stop to recharge.
Parenting and Overwhelm: The Perfect Storm
The reality for many overwhelmed moms is that modern parenting has created a “perfect storm” for mental health challenges.
Social Media Impact On Mom’s Mental Health & Perfectionism
Social media can create feelings of inadequacy and overwhelm in many moms. The social media platforms constantly bombard us with images of perfection: spotless homes, balanced home-cooked meals, or the endlessly patient mom who seems to nail the parenting role all the time. Meanwhile, real life tells a very different story.
These perfect images make us question why we’re not able to keep up. Dishes may be piled in the sink. Toys are scattered throughout the living room. A little pile of dog fur dances across the floor as someone walks by. Dinner may be late. Kids may be screaming. And the daily allotment of patience may run out before breakfast is over. When comparing the difference between social media posts and real life, feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and self-doubt may emerge. This constant comparison is exhausting and detrimental to the mental health of moms who are already trying to hold it together.
Keeping Up & Doing It All
The constant pressure to “do it all” leaves you feeling like you’re constantly failing, even though you’re working harder than ever. This burden is compounded by the emotional weight of worrying about your children, juggling work-life balance, and coping with past traumas.
Understandably, many mothers find themselves completely overwhelmed. On top of all this, there’s the myth that asking for help is a sign of weakness. The relentless pressure to excel in every area of life not only stretches moms thin, but also sets the stage for exhaustion and burnout.
Burned Out & Exhausted
This feeling of overwhelm is more than just tiredness—it’s a mental and emotional overload that can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and even depression. When left unaddressed, this stress can evolve into more serious health risks, which is what the Surgeon General’s warning is all about.
But Moms, there’s hope. Next, we’ll explore how therapy can be one of the best investments you can make for yourself and your mental health. Therapy can help.
Anxiety Therapy: A Lifeline for Overwhelmed Moms
One of the key reasons parenting is being flagged as a health risk is the high levels of anxiety that many moms face.
Anxiety can sneak into every aspect of mom life.
If you’ve ever found yourself awake at night with your mind racing you understand how anxiety can wear you down. Over time, this constant worry can turn into chronic anxiety. It makes it harder to enjoy the present moment, connect with your kids, or even take care of yourself.
This is where anxiety therapy comes in. If parenting has become a source of constant stress, anxiety therapy can help manage those feelings. Through therapy, you can learn to calm your racing thoughts and regain emotional balance. Therapy can also reduce the grip that anxiety has on your daily life. By addressing the fears that fuel your anxiety, therapy helps you feel more in control. You’ll feel less overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood. With time, you may finally begin to feel like yourself again.
Trauma Therapy: Healing the Past to Better Navigate Parenting
If you find that parenting is stirring up feelings of guilt, shame, or fear, it may be time to consider trauma therapy. This form of therapy helps you process and release emotional pain from past experiences. Therapy that addresses past trauma allows you to move forward with a clearer mind and a more peaceful heart. When you’re not constantly pulled back into old emotional patterns, you can approach parenting with more patience. This also leads to greater confidence and resilience.
Challenges At Every Corner
For many moms, parenting challenges are worsened by unresolved trauma from their own past. Whether it’s childhood trauma, relationship trauma, or something else, these unhealed wounds can resurface during motherhood. The stress of parenting can trigger old memories and emotional pain. This makes daily life feel even more overwhelming.
Healing Past Wounds
Trauma therapy is helpful for moms who have experienced emotional or physical trauma. This trauma can affect how they relate to their children or partner. By healing those past wounds, you can break the cycle of stress and anxiety. This helps stop the feeling of being stuck and overwhelmed.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting therapy offers an effective solution for moms who are struggling under these parenting pressures. By targeting specific areas in the brain linked to emotional trauma and stress, Brainspotting helps release the deeply rooted tension and unresolved trauma that may be contributing to feelings of overwhelm. This therapeutic approach allows moms to process their emotions more fully, reducing the mental and emotional load they carry. Brainspotting doesn’t just help moms cope—it helps them heal. Than, moms can better manage the demands of parenting without sacrificing their mental health.
How Anxiety Therapy, Trauma Therapy, & Brainspotting Can Support Your Health
It’s no surprise, parenting can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Anxiety therapy, trauma therapy, and brainspotting are powerful tools for mental health. They help you regain control, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being. The key is recognizing when you need support. Reaching out before burnout becomes overwhelming is essential.
Therapy gives you a space to unload mental and emotional burdens. In anxiety therapy, you can identify the sources of your stress. You will also learn coping mechanisms to manage anxious thoughts. Trauma therapy offers a deeper form of healing. Brainspotting helps you process and release emotional pain stored in your body for years.
Taking Care of Your Health While Taking Care of Your Family
The Surgeon General’s warning about parenting being a health risk is not meant to scare you; rather, it’s a wake-up call to prioritize your own well-being in the midst of motherhood. The truth is, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential if you want to be the best mom you can be.
Whether you’re overwhelmed by the demands of parenting or struggling with anxiety and past trauma, help is available. Anxiety therapy, brainspotting, and trauma therapy are proven ways to support your mental health. They give you tools to manage stress and emotional overload.
Final Thoughts
If the Surgeon General’s warning has hit home, and you’re realizing just how much your health is tied to the stress of parenting, now is the time to take action. Overwhelmed moms don’t have to stay stuck in cycles of anxiety, stress, and burnout. With the right support—whether it’s anxiety therapy, trauma therapy, brainspotting, or simply making time for self-care—you can protect your health while still being the amazing mom that you are.
Remember, your mental and physical health are worth investing in. When you take care of yourself, you’re not just benefiting yourself—you’re giving your children the gift of a mom who is present, calm, and emotionally available. That’s the kind of healthy parenting we all deserve.
Eleena Hardzinski is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Brainspotting Therapist practicing online in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Eleena supports women struggling with motherhood, relationships, past traumas, and anxiety. She helps moms find balance, overcome guilt, establish healthy boundaries, heal from past traumas, improve family communication, and regain confidence and joy in their lives.
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