PostpartumDepression:Shatteringthe

SocialStigmas
KellyLuong
April08,2017

Photo credit: LiveROYGBV

Its truE that Postpartum depression cant be diagnosed through medical

tests like diabetes or heart diseases can. but that doesnt mean its not
real. Its true that women often feel anxiousaftergivingbirth.Butits
far more complicated than worrying about being a good mother.left
untreated, Postpartum depression becomes much more than just the baby
blues. Whether out of ignorance or lack of knowledge, many people are
blindedbythestigmasurroundingthismentalillness.

The Andrea Yates Tragedy

On June 20th, 2011, A police department in Houston, Texas received a phone call from
Andrea Yates, asking them to come to her home. What officers found after arriving on
scene was disturbing. Even for them. In a bathtub filled to the rim with water were the
lifeless bodies of two children: a 6-month-old newborn and a 7-year-old boy. Three other
bodies were laid out on the bed next to each
other, wrapped in bedsheets. Calm and
collected, Yates explained to the officers that
she was unfit to be a mother and wanted to
send her five children to Heaven where they
could finally be with God. One by one, she
held her kids underwater until they could no
longer breathe, before bringing the lifeless
bodies to the Master bedroom. In a chilling
recording with detectives, she remembered
how the oldest son walked in as she was
drowning the youngest. He tried to run away,
but she chased after him and pulled him into the bathtub, where
he died right next to his sister. Yates then decided to called the
police. It was later learned that after the birth of her fifth and
final child, Yates was diagnosed with Postpartum depression
(PPD), which later developed into Postpartum psychosis, a rare
mental illness characterized by hallucinations, rapid mood swings, and paranoia. She was
prescribed an antipsychotic drug, but stopped taking it two weeks before the incident. Her
story made headlines across the nation and despite the loss of innocent lives, many
mothers empathized with her - especially those who suffered from PPD. Thankfully I
got help, one woman said to reporters. I know how it is. She basically lost herself.
(Hollandsworth, 2001). Yates was struggling with herself for months, and when she
stopped taking her medication, things took a drastic turn. Although Yates PPD was on
the extreme end of the spectrum, her case helped the public realize that PPD wasnt as
simple as being a little sad.

What is Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum depression is moderate to severe depression in a women after giving birth.
Symptoms include irritability, anxiety, loss of concentration or energy, trouble sleeping,
feelings of worthlessness, and suicidal thoughts (Postpartum depression, n.d.). Mothers
with PPD often feel like they cant take care of the baby, is scared to be left alone with
the baby, or have thoughts about harming the baby. Many people confuse PPD with the
baby blues, which is a term used to describe feelings of worry or fatigue that last only

two weeks and goes away on its own. Unlike PPD, the Baby Blues is considered
normal.

The Effects of Social Stigmas

Like any other mental illness, there are many
misconceptions about postpartum depression. People
often paint mothers suffering from PPD as liars or
attention-seekers, while others think theyre making
excuses to avoid taking care of a newborn. As a result,
these troubled women are holding their tongues, scared to
seek help because they dont want to be judged or viewed
as bad mothers. They avoid therapy and treatment,
hoping that PPD will resolve on its own.
Without help, the symptoms will only continue to get
worse. If more people become educated on PPD, we can
overcome the stigmas surrounding it and
encourage mothers to reach out for
help.

Postpartum Depression Is Fake

PeopleareundertheimpressionthatPPDdoesntexist,simplybecausetherearenomedical
testsavailabletodiagnoseit.Othersbelievethatitsamadeupillnessusedtoattractsympathy
andattention.Arecentresearchstudy,however,havefoundthatPPDiscausedbyahormone
deficiency.Inpregnantwomen,thehypothalamusshutsoffcorticotropin-releasinghormone
(CRH),becausetheplacentaonitsownproducesenoughhormonesforthebody.Aftergiving
birth,theplacentalCRHvanishesandthehypothalamusbeginstotoproducethehormone
again.Forsomemothers,thistakeslonger,inducingPostPartumDepression(Travis,1995).

Postpartum Depression is Rare

Postpartum depression is very common; There are well over 3 million cases in the U.S alone per year.
Photo credit: Google Images

1in7womenareaffectedbyPostpartumdepression.ToputItinperspective,more
womenwillsufferfromPPDandotherrelatedillnessesthanthecombinednumberof
newcasesformenandwomenoftuberculosis,leukemia,multiplesclerosis,
Parkinsonsdisease,Alzheimersdisease,lupus,andepilepsy(TheStatistics,n.d.).

Postpartum Depression Resolves Itself

Outofthe60,000peoplewhohavePPD,only15%seekmedicaltreatment.Unlikethebaby
blues,PPDdoesnotgoawayonitsown.amothercanttoughitoutorgetsomefreshairto
cureamentalillness.Ittakesprofessionalhelpandstrongwillforamothertoovercomeit.
Typically,prescriptiondrugsareusedtoreliEvethesymptoms.Forthosewhodontfeel
comfortabletakingmedicationswhilebreastfeeding,therearemanyformsoftherapy
availablEtohelp:cognitivebehavioral,interpersonal,orpsychodynamictherapy(Newland&
Parade,2016).Supportgroupswithothermothersalsoprovidesemotionalsupportandan
outlet.Itscriticalthatawomangetsprofessionalhelp;NotonlydoesPPDaffectthemothers
well-being,itllharmrelationshipswithotherfamilymembersandfriends,especiallythe
child.Childrenofdepressedmothersareatriskforproblemsincludingdifficult
temperament,insecureattachment,andpoorphysicaldevelopment(NewLand&Parade,
2016,p.5).

Postpartum Depression Makes the Mother into a

Murderer
PeopleseeheadlinesorhearstoriesaboutmotherswithPPDmurderingtheirchildren(Doesthisring
abell?AndreaYates?)andthinkOh,PPDcausesthemothertoharmherchild.Thisisastigma.
MotherswithPPDlovetheirchildrenjustasmuchasanyoneelse.Butyouwonthearaboutthatin
themedia,becausebreakingnewsistheonlythingthatmatters.Whenothermothers-especially
celebrities-openupabouttheirownexperienceswithPPDtothe
public,itspreadsawarenessandhelpsfightthesestigmas.
OnLivewithKellyandMichael,actressHaydenPanettiereopenedup
aboutherstrugglewithPPD.InMayof2016,nearlytwoyearsafter
herdaughterwasborn,Panettierecheckedherselfintorehabfor
treatment.
When youre told about postpartum depression you think its I
feel negative feelings towards my child, I want to injure or hurt
my child.' Ive never, ever had those feelings... Its something that
needs to be talked about. Women need to know that theyre not
alone, and that it does heal(Webber,2016).

ChrissyTeigen,amodelandwifetoJohnLegend,
alsosufferedfromPPD.Likemanyotherwomen,
Teigenhadahardtimeacceptingit.Inanopen
letter,Teigenwrites I just didnt think it could
happen to me. It took me so long to speak up: I
felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that
Im struggling....Im speaking up now because I
want people to know it can happen to anybody
and I dont want people who have it to feel
embarrassed or to feel alone (2017).

Acknowledging Mental Illnesses

Its understandable why some people think mental illnesses arent real medical
conditions; Like mentioned earlier, there are no diagnostic tests available. However,
symptoms still exist and there are prescriptions for a reason. PPD - and any form of
mental illness - should be acknowledged. In 2008, a law was passed that requires
insurance companies to cover costs related to mental, behavioral, and substance-use
disorders. The quality must be comparable or better to medical/surgery coverage. The
government has acknowledge PPD and other mental illnesses as real medical issues.
Why havent others? If we arent bringing awareness to mental illnesses, we are
contributing to the social stigmas associated with it. Mental health should not be
considered a taboo topic! The best thing to do is educate and encourage as many people
as possible.