You normally hear PANDA speaking about perinatal anxiety and depression. However today I want to talk to you about postnatal psychosis. This potentially life-threatening mental illness affects one to two new mothers in every 1000, or up to 600 new mothers in Australia every year. We know from calls to PANDA’s National Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Helpline that when postnatal psychosis strikes a new mother, it blindsides everybody. It’s an overwhelming shock to the mother, and to her loved ones too. The fact that she often loses touch with reality and can experience delusional thoughts, paranoia and even hallucinations – leading to potential risk to both mother and child – makes it even more shocking. We are fortunate to have brave mums in our Community Champions Program who have experienced postnatal psychosis and have shared their stories with us. They have asked me to share this important message with you: We had no idea this could happen. It shouldn’t be a secret. Expecting and new mothers, and their partners and family, need to know in advance that they might experience this frightening condition so they can get help early. Below you can read Priya’s story. You can also read the stories of other Community Champions who lived with postnatal psychosis on PANDA’s website. Our website includes easily understood information for women and families affected by this illness as well as important information for carers. If you suspect a new mum you know is experiencing postnatal psychosis, please seek medical help immediately or call PANDA’s National Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Helpline on 1300 726 306. Thank you for helping us keep these new mums and their babies safe. Priya's StoryPostnatal psychosis can affect any new mum. However no one expects it, so it always comes as a shock – as it did for Priya and her family. Priya and her husband Mithun operated a successful and very busy dental practice in regional Australia. A month after giving birth to her second baby son, Priya had to go back to work because the woman filling in for her had to leave. Baby Yohan hardly slept, so Priya would often spend much of the night awake with him, and then work through the day. As the days went by, people around Priya noticed changes in her. She seemed distracted and rushed at work. Rather than being happy and chatty she would sit quiet and still between patients, worrying about whether she was doing her work well. One day she found herself in the staff room at work, unable to stop crying. “I felt like the world was collapsing around me,” she says. “So many thoughts rammed through my brain and I struggled to talk normally.” Priya and Mithun visited her GP who took one look and referred her straight to the emergency department of the local hospital. Priya was given medicine and advised to go home, where she would be monitored with in-home visits. Priya says, “I wouldn’t leave my room. I wanted to be around my children but couldn’t bear the noise. I had so many ideas, so many thoughts. I sat on the carpet in a corner writing them in a journal all day long." Two nights later, Priya started having paranoid visions about a friend of the family, sure he was in danger. They got through that night, and the next morning Priya went back to hospital and was taken to the psychiatric ward. She was agitated by the slightest of sounds. After a few days, Priya came home and continued her treatment under the care of a psychiatrist, and with support from her family. Recovery was slow, and included a relapse some months later that led to a diagnosis of bipolar– not uncommon for women who experience postnatal psychosis. This time she reached out early for support, including from the PANDA Helpline, her psychiatrist and a psychologist. Living with bipolar has meant some changes for Priya, including paying attention to her stress levels and prioritising rest and sleep. “I have stopped working as a dentist, and am trying to listen to my body and be kind to myself. I am using meditation, yoga and daily exercise, and I hope to be off medication one day.” Priya is also passionate about sharing her story, so others can be aware of postnatal psychosis and have the best chance of finding treatment and recovering.
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