What happens when a mother who has recently given birth can no longer tell the difference between their hallucinations and reality? Or they neglect themselves and the child?
This is the upsetting reality for one in seven women, who deal with postpartum psychosis or depression. After childbirth, a mom could experience extreme physical, emotional, and hormonal changes, which could lead to serious mental health conditions.
The case of Lindsay Clancy recently brought these problems into the spotlight. Even some experts have had trouble answering the difficult questions raised by the trial. Her case has sparked various conversations–including around high school campuses and throughout social media–about Postpartum Depression (PPD) and psychosis.
According to Dr. Farahadian from Dignity Health in Los Angeles, many “mothers who give birth suffer the possibility of getting postpartum depression. Mothers who have been depressed in their lives, and have given birth before, are more prone to PPD compared to others.”
The Cleveland Mayo Clinic details further, “Postpartum depression is a serious mood disorder that occurs during pregnancy or within the first year after childbirth.”
Postpartum psychosis is a whole different world compared to postpartum depression. In an interview, Dr. Torbati, who specializes in obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) at Providence hospital in Tarzana, shared that “psychosis is a condition that leads the patient to lose touch with reality and have hallucinations. There are different types, but the most common are auditory and visual. Auditory hallucinations include hearing voices and sounds that may give commands and orders that make the person feel obligated to listen.”
One of the biggest differences between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis is a person’s consciousness and connection to reality. Dr. Torbati explained that someone experiencing postpartum depression can be extremely depressed but still understand what is happening around them. “Postpartum depression is depressed…she still doesn’t lose connection to reality. Psychosis is when someone loses the connection to reality. Psychotic patients develop a reality of whatever they decide that reality is and they don’t have a proper understanding of what reality is. They create their own imaginary world and hear voices.”
Clancy is an example of this description. According to a report by ABC News, she claimed that “the voice […] told her that if she did not follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe […] she heard a male voice ordering her, telling her that she didn’t have any choice, but she had to kill her children and then kill herself.”
Dr. Farhadian from Dignity Health in Los Angeles also specializes in OB/GYN, and she explained that there are a series of questions that health professionals ask mothers, not specifically ones that are struggling, but a catchall for any mother who has recently given birth. They ask both the mother and the significant other how the mother’s sleeping habits are, and how she is taking care of herself and the baby. They will always ask every mother if she is experiencing thoughts about harming herself or the baby. These questions can help doctors notice warning signs before the condition becomes more serious.
An important part of these interviews was about misconceptions surrounding these illnesses, the same response from many sources: Some people may believe that a mother is causing a scene, being dramatic, making excuses, or simply not trying hard enough to take care of her or her baby. Both of these doctors explain that a lack of support from a partner can actually make the situation much worse. Postpartum mental health conditions are real medical conditions, and ignoring the symptoms can prevent someone from getting them the help they need.
Every family member of a mom should pay close attention to warning signs. Symptoms include changes in sleep, self-care, and how the mother is taking care of the baby. If a mother begins talking about hearing voices, seeing things, or hurting her baby or herself, it’s important to take these signs seriously and seek professional help as soon as possible.