Teach and Tech Tuesday… I know, what the heck does that mean?!

Today I am going to provide information on Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Psychosis, etc. and resources that can help.  I added the Tech into it because through the years, there has been a lot of resources that can be found and obtained through the great use of our world wide web, the lovely internet.

Please note, I am not a doctor or health care provider but rather a survivor and Warrior Mom of several of these illnesses.  Back when I had my daughter and went through the hell of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety, resources were very limited.  This was the end of 2006.  Facebook wasn’t what it is today, MySpace owned the web.  Online psychiatric or therapeutic help wasn’t really available.  There was not a way to connect easily with others that were feeling exactly how you were.  There were no Postpartum Professionals in my area, in fact there were none in the State of CT at the time.  My help came from my hospital’s short term psych ward with competent staff but they were not specialized in Postpartum Illnesses.  Fast forward 9 years and we have made so many advancements in the field of Perinatal Mood Disorders, including specialists in the state of CT where I am, but we still have a long way to go.

My first resource, founded in 2004 by the original Warrior Mom, Katherine Stone:

Postpartum Progress – A great resource to those suffering, their family and friends, and for mental health providers.  Every year for the last 3 years on the Saturday closest to the Summer Solstice (longest day of the year), thousands of women all over the globe participate in an event called Climb Out Of The Darkness to raise both funds and awareness.  Postpartum Progress also runs a blog where Warrior Moms share their stories at http://www.postpartumprogress.com/ .  Here women can read about others who are went through what they are currently going through.  Here they know they are not alone.  Here they can find private forums and talk one-on-one with others.  On this blog there are also links to find specialists, treatment programs, support groups, organizations, common questions, definitions and books.  It is a tremendous resource that I highly recommend and wish I knew about all those years ago.

Another good resource is:

Postpartum Support International – Like Postpartum Progress there are links to finding professionals, support in your area, support if in the military, etc.  You can chat online with an expert.  You can find training if you would like to become a volunteer coordinator… the list goes on and on.

A resource I hope you never need but very valuable to have:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline – Yes, it is highly possible to have suicidal thoughts while suffering from Postpartum Depression.  Postpartum Depression is a form of Clinical Depression and carries with it much of the symptoms of Clinical Depression.

Another resource I like is:

Psych Central – They have articles about every Mental Illness you can think of.  Some relate to studies, some are from those that suffer, some deal with doctors.

And of course there is Facebook.  Just search Postpartum anything and numerous Facebook groups will pop up where you can friend people who are in pain like yourself or help someone.

Lastly, please, if you or someone you know is suffering from a Perinatal Mental Illness such as Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Psychosis, etc… get help!  The repercussion of not seeking help can be deadly, not only for mom, but possibly for her child.