Postpartum Psychosis: BBC Documentary

[stumblymonkey]

Did anyone watch the documentary on BBC last night about postpartum psychosis?

I have bipolar so am at a higher risk of developing PP psychosis and wondered if anyone here has had it?

Or just thoughts on the documentary from anyone who watched....

[TheFlyingFauxPas]

I watched a lot of it. What was interesting was that one lady already knew she was bi polar and the other was diagnosed and recognised why she hadn't 'felt right' before having get baby. I don't know if having bi polar makes you more susceptible to it?? But I'd assume this could be a case of being forearmed and therefore monitor more closely to hopefully be more proactive. Do you have children Monkey? Are you planning it?

[stumblymonkey]

Yes it does make you more susceptible.

According to my peri-natal psychiatrist around 1 in 1,000 women with no other mental health issues will get PP psychosis. Those with Bipolar Type 2 have a 1 in 100 chance and those with Bipolar One have a 1 in 2 chance.

We're TTC DC#1....I'm lucky to have private psychiatric care and a very supportive DP.

I know I need to show him the documentary to prepare him to watch for signs (I have a 1 in 100 chance...so not as bad) but don't want to scare him.

I thought they did a good job of dispelling some myths around ECT which can be a very effective treatment. I've never had it but I know a few people who it's been a lifeline to.

[TheFlyingFauxPas]

I didn't get to the ECT bit. The most poignant bit for me was where they said about one of the ladies was if she was too ill she believed she didn't need medication but when she wasn't she knew that she did 😞 I don't have bi polar but do dabble with depression. I got it together again last year finally going back on medication. Luckily I. Was able to spot I was sinking again this winter and ask to up my dose but often it would get so bad I was unable to get help for myself. Hang on not finished

[TheFlyingFauxPas]

Cont. It sounds like you have excellent back up 😊 like I say. Forearmed etc. My depression came back after birth of ds diag as post natal depression. I did however have some very weird thoughts so can empathise somewhat with sufferers of PNP. When ds was a baby half of me believed my mum was abusing him. The other half didn't but I used to think things like she won't mind if I bring it up as she'd realise I'm only bringing it up as I love him so much and if she loves him it would be ok to accuse her. Hard to explain. I mean. As she's such a great person I think she is she'd understand. I've never ever told anyone about these thoughts. I never did bring it up. I know it's not true. It feels very weird remembering how I felt. I still don't think I've explained it properly. I think if I. Had Brough it up O could have decimated a wonderful close loving relationship my son, mum and I have

[Angieyy1]

I have had it when my son was born ... I didn't think I'd survive it or be here today! He's now 13, I'd say I started to slowly get better when he was 5 but it has taken me years Iv had many set backs with failed relationships and general stress ... I don't cope very well if I am stressed or something goes wrong, I can go into myself it has left me with obsessive thoughts and rumination which doesn't help when your going through a bad time I guess it takes me longer to recover from things other people would bounce back from

[Angieyy1]

I was on 225mg of venlafaxine and 20mg of olanzapine and diazepam it did nothing for me at all except made me numb with no feelings what's so ever for anything or anyone...

[NanaNina]

I watched it and was especially interested in the ECT part because I am on the brink of having the treatment for drug resistant depression. I think Hannah had 11 treatments and made good recovery and said her memo was better - the risk of memory loss is what's holding me back and the medics don't tell you the truth about the possible risks - they sort of gloss over it but I've researched it and there is a definite risk of memory loss which can be permanent.

I felt very sorry for the 2 young mothers but the place looked really nice. Totally irrelevant but I was struck by how the black woman's children were SO like their father.