Do these statements sound familiar?

I don’t want to be a mother or wife anymore. I want to get into my car, start the ignition, throw my cell phone out of the window and drive with absolutely no destination in mind.

In October 1999, singer Marie Osmond disclosed that she suffered from postpartum depression, following the birth of her 7th child, Matthew, on July 6, 1999. She became so depressed that she left her husband and kids – planning never to return. Marie is not alone. These types of severe cases often stay under the radar and go unnoticed due to the taboo nature of a woman rejecting what is thought to be purely instinctive – motherhood.

If you ever had these types of thoughts or feelings, you probably were not comfortable sharing them with anyone; more than likely you kept your own counsel on the matter.

Although Post Partum Depression is a common term, there’s also a condition called Postpartum Psychosis. The psychosis goes far beyond normal postpartum blues or even postpartum depression. It strikes swiftly and suddenly. While postpartum depression can take up to a year to manifest, postpartum psychosis symptoms almost always appear within two to three weeks of delivery.

Common postpartum psychosis symptoms include:

delusions, extreme anxiety, agitation. extreme irritability, hallucinations, hyperactivity, illogical thoughts, irrational judgment, insomnia, paranoia, periods of delirium, mania, rapid mood swings, refusal to eat, and often thoughts of suicide or homicide.

***Untreated puerperal psychosis (Postpartum Psychosis) may lead to suicide or infanticide.***

Postpartum psychosis treatment typically involves antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication. Individual or group therapy is also beneficial. A support network is especially crucial for women who develop postpartum psychosis. These women often don’t realize that they need help, so friends and family must step in to get them the postpartum psychosis treatment they need.
Photo: Google Images