Just Talkin’ Tuesday 03.23.10: How did you find your therapist?

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Original photo: "Everyday Use Items: a couch" by @foka_kytutr @ flickr.com

Congratulations!

You have broken through the fear to make the call for help.

But now what?

Unless you have a therapist tucked away with the burp cloths or shoved in a random diaper bag pocket, chances are you’ll be scrambling to find one after diagnosis with Postpartum Mood Disorder.

There are a lot of questions to be considered when searching for a therapist. Some are financial, some regarding training, and others regarding how experienced the therapist is with your specific diagnosis.

Just as you wouldn’t see an Oncologist for a Pulmonary Embolism, you wouldn’t visit a Substance abuse therapist for a Postpartum Mood Disorder.

But when you are in the throes of Postpartum Mood Disorder, you don’t necessarily have the wherewithal to be going down a checklist of requirements for a Therapist. (That is, unless you get lucky like me and develop Postpartum OCD. Then lists and keeping certain things in a very particular order becomes very very important to you.)

So how can you tell your therapist is going to be a good match or is trained in dealing with Postpartum Mood Disorders?

The first thing you need to know is what degrees to look for when ensuring the therapist you are considering is professionally and properly trained. A therapist will primarily hold a Masters level degree and be either a Licensed Social Worker or Counselor/Therapist depending on your state’s licensing office. A solid counselor should not hesitate to provide evidence of his/her training and current license status if requested. You may also see a Psychologist, who will hold either a Ph.D (research) or a Psy.D (Professional) for therapy.

The second thing to consider is specialized training in Postpartum Mood Disorders. If the therapist is truly focused/familiar with Postpartum Mood Disorder patients, he or she will be aware of Postpartum Support International, Karen Kleiman’s Clinician Training at the Postpartum Stress Center, or Pec Indman’s two day training via Postpartum Support International. If your therapist claims to be intimately involved with treating Postpartum Mood Disorder clients yet has no earthly idea who these people or organizations are, be wary. Ask what specialized training they have completed in the area of Postpartum Mood Disorders (if any) and how long they’ve been treating patients with similar diagnoses to yours.

Third, while your therapist is not meant to be your best friend, you should feel somewhat at ease during the appointment. If you feel uncomfortable or on edge during therapy, you’ll be less likely to disclose as much and therefore hinder your own journey toward wellness. It’s worth the search to find a therapist with philosophies similar to yours.

Do not be afraid to ask what their policy is on admitting to Intrusive thoughts. Many many women worry that if they admit they have thoughts of doing horrible things to their children, the children will be taken away from them. I faced this very same issue and asked my therapist this question before I admitted some pretty dark thoughts to her. Her response was that yes, she was required to report situations which indicated imminent harm to oneself or others but that she understood intrusive thoughts and their involvement in my particular diagnosis. This particular concern goes back to finding out what experience the therapist you are considering has with Postpartum Mood Disorders.

Dr. John Grohol over at PsychCentral has some good advice on how to tell a good therapist from a bad one. I would highly recommend you read it and keep these tips in mind.

Another great link to keep tucked away is “Tips for talking with your doctor” by Karen Kleiman over at the Postpartum Stress Center. She suggests starting with the doctor you feel most at ease with even if it’s your primary care physician. He or she can always refer you to specialists once a consensus is made that further help is indeed needed.

I now hand this post over to you, the reader.

What did you do to find your Postpartum Therapist? Any tips? Suggestions? What to look for? What to avoid?

Let’s get to just talking here!

(Tomorrow we’ll be discussing different types of therapy available for the Postpartum Woman. Stay tuned!)


The reprehensible spammification of Postpartum Mood Disorders

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Something is afoot.

Something strange, disturbing, and downright irresponsible.

Sadly, I am not surprised at this recent development given what a hot topic Postpartum Mood Disorders has become of late in relation to recently (passed!) legislation and the courage of more and more mothers speaking out about their own difficult experiences after the birth of a child.

More and more, I have been receiving very odd links in my Google Alerts for several Postpartum Mood Disorder related search terms. These links lead to websites that have absolutely nothing to do with anything maternal, postpartum, baby, family, or any other related topics. And the information included therein is anything but accurate or reliable.

Even worse, I’ve been seeing a lot of new websites crop up with blanket promises of “Curing” postpartum depression for one low price. (One website even includes a friends and family “coupon” which cuts the price in half just for you!)

My stomach has been churning at the very thought of at-risk women and well-meaning family members finding these sites.

Oh yes, ladies and gentleman, I’m talking about the spammification of Postpartum Mood Disorders.

I can tell the difference between a reliable website and an unreliable website.

Women who blog with me, survivors, experts, and others intimately familiar with the topic can tell the difference.

But what about women and families currently being tossed about on the big nasty Postpartum Sea? Can THEY tell the difference or will they fall prey to these deceptive tactics masquerading as effective life preservers in a hopelessly churlish sea?

Spamming is a disgusting and contemptuous act which has been going on for years. Many of our in-boxes sit full of spam. Some of it makes it through from the spam folder into our in-box making it seem even more reliable. And if one of these links were to make it into the in-box of an at-risk woman or a well-meaning but uninformed family member of a woman struggling with a Postpartum Mood Disorder, the results may prove ghastly.

So what are we to do?

How do we get educated and knowledgeable when it comes to dissecting the authority and reliability of a website?

There are a few steps you can take.

First, is the site’s URL address directly related to the topic you’ve researched?

Chances are that if you’ve researched Postpartum Mood Disorders or Depression and end up on a website for air conditioners, furniture, auto repair, or turf builder, you’re not at a reputable website.

Second, let’s say that the website you’re at DOES correlate to the topic you’ve researched and the word postpartum is in the URL address. That’s gotta be good, right? Well, yes, and no.

Does this website link to known organizations specializing in helping women with this issue? (Think Postpartum Support International) What’s their google page rank? Are they HON Code certified? (Think Postpartum Progress) What’s the story behind the person who put the website together? Are they clear about their training? Do they let you know they’re a Mom/peer supporter, a doctor, provide confirmable evidence of education/degrees/certifications? Can you find anything about them elsewhere? Have other bloggers or websites linked to them and endorsed them or mentioned them? Or are they only published at their specific website and other unreliable websites? (I don’t have a high Google Page Rank or an HONcode certification but I am working to improve my page rank and also toward an HONcode certification as well. I also over-research everything I put up here which is why sometimes I’m a little behind on posting about a hot topic. I’d rather get it right than have it up as soon as it happens)

Third – is the website trying to sell you something? Does the website promise a cure? Are they dismissive of an entire approach to treating Postpartum Mood Disorders?

If the website is really trying to get you to buy something without describing in detail what it is, you need to be wary. There is no one size fits all treatment. There is NO overnight cure for Postpartum Mood Disorders. Just as with all women, all pregnancies, and all deliveries, there are many different types of Postpartum Mood Disorders and they are rooted in different issues dependent on the history of the woman, the type of birth she experienced, her thyroid levels, anemia levels, etc. There are SO many different layers to uncover when it comes to a Postpartum Mood Disorder. It is dangerous to buy into a one size fits all approach. Just as labor is a fluid process subject to change at any moment given any circumstances, so is postpartum recovery. We all approach life with our own individualized chemistry and baggage. Matching sets don’t commonly occur out here in the real world.

The practice of Quackery has been around for eons and will unfortunately continue to exist as long as people are willing to grasp at any answers that may save them from their current condition. That being said, there are legitimate complementary treatments and alternative approaches available for treating postpartum mood disorders. Anyone worth their salt in dedication to helping women with Postpartum Mood Disorder will be open to supporting whatever path you choose to take toward wellness regardless of what type of methods you choose. In the same vein, anyone worth their salt will also strongly encourage you to work with medical professionals as you work toward wellness. Anyone worth their salt will also openly share their training, education, and base of knowledge with you as well. There should be no hidden cloak, no Wizard of Oz mumbo jumbo going on during your journey to wellness with a good provider.

Here are a couple additional links that may help you navigate your way through the 102,000 results you’ll get via Google in .20 seconds for Postpartum Mood Disorders:

Tips on Identifying Reliable Health Information on the Internet

Quackwatch.org

What can you do if you fall victim to one of these websites? First, you can file with the FTC. And if you’ve lost money and care to pursue legal action, you are entitled to do so under something called the Lanham Act. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau’s Online department by clicking here. You can also click here for seven tips on how to keep your email address from getting added to the growing number of spam lists out there.

As more and more voices speak up about their experience with Postpartum Depression, more and more Snake Oil salesmen will crop up to take advantage of the growing searches occurring on the Internet for information. It’s sad and blasphemously tragic but such has been the way for ages with many medical conditions.

Bottom line: If in doubt, throw it OUT. That phrase is handy in the restaurant industry and certainly handy here too. If a link promises too much too fast or reeks of a foul distrusting odor, throw it out.

Tread carefully. Think it through. Talk to a professional. Take care of you.

Tomorrow we’ll be sharing tips on how to tell a good doctor/therapist from a bad doctor/therapist.

Have any tips or insights to share on this? Email me at ppdacceptance(@)gmail.com.

Be sure to check back to see if your tips/experiences were included!

Happy Survivor Day to me!

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Today, four years ago, at 2:20pm, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl.

She was three and a half weeks early after 42 hours of labor and not quite complete.

Her palate it seemed had not quite made the journey.

But she was eager to join us and had lessons to teach.

Oh, the lessons she had to teach were difficult to learn. But beyond priceless.

Lessons in love, patience, joy, understanding, beauty, laughter, faith, discipline, coping, and discovery of strength we did not know we possessed.

FOUR years ago today my trip down a spiral staircase began at a rapid pace.

But here I sit, four years later, the mother of three beautiful children.

I laugh, I cry, I parent.

But I am here. And here I sit as I sigh and smile, grateful deep down for all the time we have had and the time to come.

The mother of a child who, four years ago, needed a feeding tube to grow. Who needed round the clock care for the first month of her life.

The mother of a child who needed 6 surgeries in the first 5 months of her life.

And now – now she laughs. She talks. She eats without help. Without fear. Without a feeding tube.

She can say “Bobby” and blow up balloons.

Bubbles? Not a problem for this princess anymore!

She can say her ABC’s and sing a tune.

A good book is often found clutched in her sticky hands.

She.is.HEALTHY.

And I am happy.

I can understand 85% of everything she says to me. (Less than a year ago I couldn’t understand 50% of what she was saying)

She hugs. She loves to be tickled.

She can tell a very funny (and original) joke.

She is absolutely uncompromising on more occasions than I care to admit but I still love her with all my heart.

She says “I Love You, Mommy and I mean it!” which melts my heart more and more every time.

Four years later.

We’re closer than ever.

Happy Birthday to her.

Happy Survivor’s Day to Me.

Kendra Wilkinson and “Post-Pregnancy Sadness”

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A couple of weeks ago, it seemed that every hollywood gossip website began running with a story about Kendra Wilkinson’s struggle with Postpartum Depression.

She didn’t brush her teeth or hair. Didn’t shower. Finally looked in a mirror and was mortified at the reflection. Even remembers stating she “had nothing to live for.”

The media took immediately jumped on the express to Postpartumville. Postpartum Depression hits ex-Playboy Bunny Kendra Wilkinson. See? Even the perfectly beautiful people have drama and struggle! Cha-Ching!

Yet this week, the week her show premieres, Kendra is pushing back at the media.

According to Kendra, she didn’t suffer from Postpartum Depression as she was never officially diagnosed. And she should know as she’s been in and out of therapy her whole life. Kendra admits it was indeed depression but not postpartum.

Kendra?

Sweetie?

If it’s depression and it occurs within the first 12 months after giving birth, it IS Postpartum Depression. And we don’t get to rename it “Post-Pregnancy Sadness.” Sad people don’t think they have nothing to live for but depressed people have a tendency to have these thoughts. Postpartum Depression is real, it’s not your fault, and you will get well.

Playing down comments such as not having anything to live for as simply being “Sadness” is downright dangerous.

According to E! Online, Kendra did receive professional help and returned to working out. She also moved back to L.A.from Indianapolis.

And her husband’s take on this according to the same piece at E! follows:

As for Hank, he says he tried his best to help but it was “hard because there’s nothing you can say, nothing you can do.” Even as he told Kendra how much he loved her and how beautiful she was, she’d shoot back, “‘No, I don’t feel it,'” Hank remembers.

A huge risk factor for developing Postpartum Depression is a history of depression which it sounds like Kendra struggled with according to several sources. And moving away from family, friends and support is another risk. Ensuring a new mom has a strong and stable support system around her as she navigates her way through the new challenges of motherhood.

If anything, let’s learn something from this.

Most importantly, if you’re struggling so much after the birth of your child that you’re not able to perform necessary hygiene tasks and feeling like you have nothing to live for, seek professional help. The label doesn’t matter. What matters is the help, the recovery, and then we’ll deal with the label later. But with more and more women speaking up and writing online about their own experiences regarding Postpartum Depression, it’s becoming less of a taboo and less stigmatized every day.

Kendra, you’ve really missed a huge opportunity to educate your fans about the facts surrounding Postpartum Depression. I’m not surprised but I am saddened.

Validation of the EPDS in Mainland China for antenatal women

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Through research, the Mainland Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale has been validated.

What does this mean?

It means the EPDS is now a valid tool practitioners available for use in the Chengdu region of China to identify pregnant mothers struggling with depression.

More research is needed to validate it for postnatal women. The overall prevalence of antenatal depression was at about 4.7%. Two studies were conducted: One to measure stability, the other to measure sensitivity. Both passed with flying colours.

To read more about this, click here.