Posted by: Uticopa in postnatal depression on
May 05, 2011
When Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote that disturbing 19th-century novella called 'The Yellow Wallpaper', she could hardly have known that it would later become a classic of feminist fiction. Even less could she have realised that at its heart was a pioneering portrait of the trauma of postnatal depression.
As the book is being reissued by Virago this year, it is interesting to note that, unlike her heroine, the author herself managed to break free from the oppressive shackles of her mind.
But, what was it about Gilman's short story that so evoked the mental anguish of women a century ago? And, could vestiges of how men saw women in days gone by still linger on even today? She wrote the story in part to escape the mastery of male doctors and to become the mistress of her own destiny.
First of all, let's look at what led to Gilman conceiving the story in the first place. For many years the author suffered from a severe and continuous nervous breakdown tending to what was then termed melancholia. This led her to consult a noted specialist in nervous diseases. This ‘wise' man put her to bed and applied the rest cure, to which her still good physique responded so promptly that he concluded there was nothing much the matter with her at all. He therefore sent her home with solemn advice to live as domestic a life as far as possible, to ‘have but two hours' intellectual life a day', and ‘never to touch pen, brush or pencil again' as long as she lived. This was in 1887.
Posted by: Uticopa in postnatal depression on
Feb 06, 2009
We've all read about celebs who talk about suffering from post-natal depression (PND). In the old days, women in the news were often reluctant to discuss such problems, fearing they would be branded weak in a macho, male-dominated world. However, in recent times some well-known celebrities have spoken openly about their own PND. The list includes Sadie Frost (actress), Natasha Hamilton (former Atomic Kitten singer), Elle Macpherson (model), and TV presenters Melinda Messenger, Katie Price (aka Jordan) and Gail Porter. Additionally, American actress Brooke Shields has written a book about her own experience with PND. It's called ‘Down Came The Rain: A Mother's Story of Depression And Recovery'.
By speaking out, what all these women have done is help to lift some of the stigma associated with PND. Let's get a few facts.
What exactly is PND?
Post-natal depression or PND is the name given to depression that develops between one month and up to one year after the birth of a baby. It affects many women and can begin suddenly or develop gradually. However, it is important to distinguish postnatal depression (PND) from 'baby blues' and postnatal psychosis.
Posted by: Uticopa in postnatal depression on
Feb 05, 2009
I've been diagnosed with post-natal depression - why me?
It's not clear exactly what causes PND, although there are things that seem to increase the risk.
Like depression which occurs at any other time, PND doesn't have one definite cause - but it's likely to result from a combination of factors. A mixture of physical, biological and hormonal factors seem to put women at risk of experiencing depression following the birth of a baby including:
In a
ground-breaking legal case in the UK, a judge has ruled that a mother should not stand trial for the attempted murder of her baby, as the woman was suffering from severe post-natal depression at the time of the incident.
The mother of four had suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of each of her children, with the condition becoming steadily worse each time. After the birth of her fourth child, she had become so ill that she threw the six-week-old baby from a first floor hospital window.
On Monday, a judge decided that the mother had been too ill to realise what she was doing. This is an important case that shows how serious a problem post-natal depression can become.
Many mothers find it difficult to cope with the birth of a child, and the hard work and sleepless nights that follow. But post -natal depression is a serious mental illness, and one in ten mothers in the UK are affected by this condition to some degree. In some cases it has been classed as a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. But for many years the condition has been called the ‘baby blues' and been dismissed as a symptom of tiredness or a difficulty adjusting to the new responsibilities of parenthood.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that the mother might be at a higher risk of having a postnatal depression if she is having a boy.
