A very, very short post from me today to let you know that my fellow Mt. Holyoke alumna, Debra Dane, is featuring a monthly series of interviews with perinatal mood disorder survivors over at her blog, Home Life Simplified.
To check out my interview, which is posted this month, please click here. Last month featured an interview with my friend Andrea who blogs over at Postpartum and Pigtails.
Check out these other interviews that have been done thus far. More to come.
Jane from Life on Planet Baby
Debbie from Aspiring Mum
Tina from The Duepners
If you are a perinatal mood disorder survivor, please consider opening up to others about your experience. It will definitely help other moms who are currently suffering from postpartum depression (PPD) or any one of the other illnesses that comprise the spectrum of postpartum mood disorders that are experienced by more new moms than you would think…since there is a tendency for people to stay quiet about any less-than-positive-experiences at a time that society believes should be nothing but peachy keen.
I’ve found, just like you may very well find, that helping other moms and sharing your experience with others can be extremely cathartic and fulfilling. Had I known about all the blogs and survivor stories I know now, I would not have felt so alone and helpless during my own struggle with PPD. The more survivors speak up, the more the public (including healthcare practitioners) will realize the true extent of the prevalence of these postpartum mood disorders and perhaps, just perhaps, there would be more resources to help new mothers cope with and recover from their illnesses….and less stigma!!!!
Thank you, Debra, for interviewing me and for spreading awareness in your mission to share survivor stories!
Thanks for sharing this here as well Ivy – as you say – so many people gain so much from finding all these other stories out there. When I was suffering I did not even have my own computer yet, but every time i share in real life with people it turns out the person i tell either suffers, suffered or is connected to someone who they supported through it – we need to get women to understand just how common it is so they don’t feel they are failing or are flawed! – deb xx
I agree completely! Knowing that other women have been or are going through what you are can make such a huge difference, PPD is one of those awful nightmares that you can’t truly understand without experiencing it first hand, so having the support of other survivors is vital.
Hi Esther! Thanks for stopping by my blog! I wish I had known about the community of PPD bloggers we are a part of today back when I was suffering from PPD back in early 2005. I’m happy to have found a fellow PPD survivor, blogger and Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove area-loving friend in you! It’s great to know you and the other PPD bloggers whose experiences are the inspiration to try to make a difference for other moms. Hope to meet you out there sometime in the near future!
Hi Ivy – I love what you said in the interview : “But after my PPD experience, I’ve come out feeling like I have a second shot at making the most out of the rest of my life. I didn’t let PPD defeat me, and so from the day I emerged from my PPD fog, I was going to face all of life’s challenges head-on. I was determined not to let any negative experiences defeat me. My PPD survival played a pivotal role in changing me…for the better. ” It;’s great to keep learning & growing in life! take care, Kathy
Thanks, Kathy! Yes, we are constantly evolving…taking our experiences and broadening our ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to the different scenarios that cross our paths. Your support means so much to me!
Take care,
Ivy xo