103 Posts Ago... (87/366)

Friday March 30, 2012

This is a neat feature that I learned from Single Dad Laughing.  Each day when he publishes, at the top of his blog is the feature "500 Posts Ago".  It's a flashback to posts that were so long ago, and it breathes new life into the blog.

So, I thought I would start with my most popular posts, and expand on them.  I am now on Twitter (@Rairighk) and I share my blog posts with the rest of the world that can't see them on Facebook.  This is in an effort to grow my blog and get it out there.  Someday, maybe it will be in the right hands and go further than just my own computer screen!

103 posts ago I wrote about Postpartum Depression (PPD), and gave a shortened version of what we went through (you can read it here).  This was my very first blog post and at the time I wrote it, my youngest baby was 18 months old.  I was still experiencing symptoms, I was seeing a therapist weekly and I was on antidepressants.

Since that time, I have learned so much about PPD and how to overcome it.  I can honestly say that PPD has affected me permanently - by that I mean that while I don't still suffer from symptoms directly, it has forever altered how I view motherhood.

Whether that was my choice to allow PPD to do that, or it happened naturally, I feel that the PPD I experienced after the birth of my first daughter was mis-diagnosed, and not treated properly.

The world of Postpartum Depression is broad, and each woman who suffers from it experiences a variance of symptoms.  While traumatic for me, I consider mine on the minor side.

I have since learned more about not only PPD, but Postpartum Psychosis (PPSD) and other disorders that sway to the extreme side of instability after having a baby.

Many women are ashamed of not feeling like the mother that their friends, neighbors, family and society are, or tell them they should be.  It is a haunting disease and unless you or someone you know has experienced it, you could never possibly understand.

If you or someone you know are experiencing PPD or PPSD, please reach out.  Start with your doctor.  Make sure you tell your spouse, your best friend, your Mom.  I know it's hard to talk about, it's SO hard to explain the feelings that you are experiencing, but you cannot remain silent. 

There is so much joy and life to live with your baby, your spouse, your other children and this disease will eat you alive.  If you do not get the support you need from your doctor, your family or your friends, keep searching.  Find the strength to keep going every day - and keep searching for an out.  Below are a couple of resources that may help point you in the right direction:

The Online PPMD Support Group - this page has a link to live support, and they will search for support in your area, free of charge.  There is also a crisis hotline listed on this page.

Postpartum Support International - another easy to maneuver website with links to support in your area, and a network of women having the same experiences.

Thank you for reading (again). I am thankful that I am able to share my experiences - it has taken a long time for me to come to grips with my "new" life as a mother.  Here's another link to Flashbacks To Losing It. If it helps just one new mother, then my goal was accomplished.

Please share this post in your circles.  Statistics show that 1 in 8 new mothers experience some form of PPD or PPSD.  Motherhood is such an amazing miracle and gift from our Creator.  This disease robs all of us from experiencing that joy - so hopefully together we can heal.