In light of the recent focus on the inexcusable ways some healthcare providers respond to acute distress in postpartum mothers, let us do some teaching here. Please share and inform your local resources. **NOTE TO ALL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS** Some postpartum women are afraid to tell you how they really feel. They are worried that you […]
This post was written anonymously by a mom in response to our #speakthesecret campaign. We thought her words would resonate with many of you: “I want to share my personal story of dealing with postpartum depression. The reason I’m doing this now is because in the last 3 months, 2 mothers from my home town […]
Pic credit: The PPSC magic bracelet. You know who you are. Wear it. Believe in it. The Holiday crunch is here. Shopping. Eating. Rushing. Spending. Talking. Family. Friends. Gathering. Too much? Not enough? Too crowded? Too lonely? Excited about it? Anxious about it? Dreading it? Overwhelmed by it? Ambivalent about it? If you have a […]
I wonder, now, why I have such conflicting thoughts about this place. A place I knew as my own sacred space before I was ready for the world or before the world was ready for me. Warm, radiant, transparent plastic encloses the precious gap between me and life outside the box. It is, by […]
Experts and postpartum women themselves have long been aware of the interrelationship between postpartum distress and some individual predispositions. We cannot make any claims of direct causality, nor do we have research to back it up. What we have is tons of anecdotal evidence that postpartum women are doing too much. Women who describe themselves […]
When you are in an anxiety-producing moment, it can be tempting to continue to focus on scary thoughts and exaggerated worries. Accepting that anxiety is a part of your life right now and that there are things you can do to help yourself through the challenges will help you gain a sense of mastery over […]
I swear I was possessed. It was like one part of my brain was off on its own with stabbing thoughts that didn’t make sense to the other side of my brain. I felt like a stranger in my own body, almost like I was there and not there at the same time. It was […]
A CAUTIONARY NOTE TO THERAPISTS WHO THINK THEY CAN/SHOULD TREAT PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN IN DISTRESS WITHOUT SPECIALIZED TRAINING This past weekend, I was fortunate to speak at Postpartum Support International’s (PSI) annual conference, whose clear and inspirational mission is posted on their website: “The mission of Postpartum Support International is to promote awareness, prevention and treatment of […]
While sitting with palpable pain in therapy, I am often moved to find some tool, some intervention, some words of comfort, to ease the suffering. When I’m lucky, I find a way to express hope, in some form or another. But today, I could not find the hope. So I sat with the pain. I […]
Suicide is a scary word and if you work in the mental health field it is a word that conjures up panic in the hearts of dedicated professionals who are trying hard to support, enlighten, inform and protect individuals who might be tormented or tempted by the distorted lure of an end to their suffering. […]
Does your relationship need a booster shot? Are you taking good care of your self? Are you taking good care of your partner? Here’s a brief primer that can help kickstart your connection. Selfless support refers to the energy and attention we place on our partner. It’s about him. Or her. Not me. Selfless support is […]
Say them. Say them aloud. Write them on a post-it. Post reminders in places you are most likely to see them. Say these statements several times throughout the day. You don’t have to believe them. You just have to say the words. As you continue to recovery, you will start to believe what you are […]
You do not feel like yourself. You wonder if this is what being a new mother feels like. You are worried all the time and find it’s hard to take a deep breath. You believe that if you tell anyone how you are feeling they will either dismiss it as normal or tell you that […]
You’ve recently had a baby. You are more than 3 weeks postpartum. You do not like the way you are feeling. You wonder if you are too anxious or too depressed. Your family, friends and healthcare provider have tried to reassure you, but you wonder if they really understand how bad you feel. You worry that […]
My clients have gotten so much younger. Not so long ago we were all the same age. We were comrades in parallel worlds, raising our babies together, in a manner of speaking, navigating the ebbs and flows of new motherhood. I would observe through a therapeutic lens, and later reflect on the relevance to my […]
Fathers are at risk for depression and anxiety after the birth of their baby. If their wife has PPD, husbands are most at risk as she begins to recover. As noted in THIS ISN’T WHAT I EXPECTED: “As you continue to recover and resume normal activities, an interesting phenomenon may occur. You may find […]
