Tragedies, Trauma, Disasters. What's the common thread?
Unfortunately, these are all the things that in most circumstances have to occur in order for change to happen. Why? Because when things appear to be going along swimmingly, nobody sees a need for change. So, let's take a look shall we? I can't imagine anyone not wanting to discover the new mother has 1) Killed Herself, 2) Killed her Child(ren), 3) Killed herself and her Child(ren)
We've been making progress with issues on Postpartum, but change takes time. It doesn't happen overnight or even over one generation. It takes a movement of people joining together.
The basic reality is this; it's those kind of circumstances that evoke change. In my small community in Belfast, Maine, no one knew what postpartum psychosis was. Least of all me. I had heard of the baby blues, which to my understanding was something that sometimes happens to new moms and they get sad and get over it. Done! Talk about an understatement.
Even when I was sent to AMHI and started talking to the Psychiatrist there and the many, many evaluators, there was little written on it at the time. Yes, throughout history it's been well documented and Europe has statutes that speak directly to this particular time after a mother has given birth. A few of my Doctor's even commented on it in hearings.
I remember when the story broke about Andrea Yates. We followed the trial and were so saddened when she was initally found guilty instead of NGRI from Postpartum Psychosis. We rejoiced when her sentence was later overturned because of the lead Psychiatrist who testified, lied on the
Read more Here:
~ Natachia Barlow Ramsey's Story; Surviving Postpartum Psychosis ~ A Story of Severe Postpartum Depression with Psychotic Features ~