Tag Archives: Postpartum Progress

Just Talking Tuesday 07.07.09: Anti-depressants or Not?

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original photo by thegirlsmoma @ flicker

original photo by thegirlsmoma @ flicker

Today’s topic was inspired by a post over at Postpartum Progress: You don’t NEED Anti-depressants, Do You?

In this post, Katherine discusses the lack of stigmatization regarding pharmeceutical treatment for medical conditions in response to a ScienceBlogs post you can find here.

Anti-depressants are stigmatized. Period. Nitro-glycerin or insulin? Not so much. Why? Just as Anti-depressants may work for me, they may not work for you. And if you have the wrong heart condition and take nitro-glycerin, things may not go your way either. But you don’t hear people judging others for being on nitro-glycerin, now do you? And insulin? Many Diabetics require this life-saving medication. Even pain medication after an injury – do you question that prescription? Most don’t and certainly aren’t stigmatized for taking it because let’s face it – a broken leg hurts – something we all understand.

Mental illness hurts too. It hurts the person suffering. It hurts the people around them. And if the right medication is paired with the right therapy, it can make a world of difference. Why then, are we stigmatized or accused of not understanding informed consent for deciding (of our own free will) to take medication as we heal? What makes the scaffolding of Anti-depressants any different than pain medication as a broken leg heals?

So I’m posing a pretty big question today. And I expect there will be a bit of debate about it – which is good…our different opinions are what keep us interesting! Just keep things polite. No hateful, judgemental or fear-centered comments will be approved.

Do/did you or don’t/didn’t you take Anti-depressants? Why? Why not?

And more importantly – IS it your place to tell someone else they absolutely SHOULD not take them if you don’t believe in them or have had a bad experience? Or should you calmly refer them to research that explains the risks vs. benefits and let them make the decision on their own WITH a professional on board?

Let’s get to Just Talkin’!

The Best Mother’s Day Gift of All

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No, it’s not flowers.

No, not chocolate or even a day at the spa. (although…. nah……)

Seriously though.

I know about the best Mother’s Day Gift of All.

emoticon-1The first annual Mother’s Day Rally for Moms’ Mental Health.

The event starts on Mother’s Day at midnight and will include 24 of some of the most amazing women in the Postpartum/Perinatal field.

From survivors to experts, these women will come together for 24 hours at Postpartum Progress, the nation’s widest read blog about Perinatal Mood Disorders, written by none other than the fabulous Katherine Stone.

I’m deeply honored to be among these 24 women.

We’ve been asked to write open letters to new moms focusing on the importance of maternal mental health. Any angle, length, voice, etc.

Some of the featured authors (besides myself) are:

Rita Arens, editor of “Sleep Is For the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers” and author of the blog Surrender, Dorothy

Vicki Glembocki, author of “The Second Nine Months: One Woman Tells the Real Truth About Becoming A Mom … Finally” and featured blogger on Oprah.com with Blunt Force Mama

Catherine Connors, author of the very popular mommy blog Her Bad Mother and contributing editor at BlogHer

Therese Borchard, author of the hit daily blog “Beyond Blue” on Beliefnet, which is featured regularly on the Huffington Post, and editor of “The Imperfect Mom: Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World”

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of “Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay” and “Naptime is the New Happy Hour” and a regular on NBC’s “The Today Show”

Ruta Nonacs, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor and author of “A Deeper Shade of Blue: A Woman’s Guide to Recognizing & Treating Depression in Her Childbearing Years”

So as you’re celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday take some time each hour (or even a bit of time at the end of the day) to read this amazing collection of work. I know I can’t wait to see the entire collection!

Colorado Mom Silenced by Community

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Rebekah Amaya, a Pueblo, Colorado mother currently serving out a sentence for killing her two children while allegedly suffering from Postpartum Depression and Psychosis, had her appearance at Mental Health of America’s monthly meeting this past Wednesday when the surrounding community, including family, reacted very negatively to the idea of her speaking publicly about her experience. Katherine Stone has written an excellent post about the situation and I’ll leave the details to her.

I’m not really sure how I feel about the situation and rather find myself in the same boat as Katherine to a certain extent. When discussing my own experience, it really depends on the audience as to what details I share and how graphic I get. Intrusive thoughts can be horribly triggering to other women and newly suffering mothers but the details and intensity can also be very educational and helpful for professionals as it allows them a glance into the world those of us who suffer with these debilitating thoughts find ourselves encased.

I can understand the family’s horror and outrage. But as an advocate and woman who knows how powerful a voice of experience can be, I wonder what value she might have brought to the table. Was she ready to speak? What would speaking have done for her? What were her intentions? Is she really stable enough to be sharing these details? These are questions we’ll never know the answers to but regardless, the topic itself is one that does not need to be ignored. As Katherine states, not talking about infanticide and filicide will not make it go away.