Book review: Mothering Through the Darkness
When I had my son, I had heard of Postpartum Depression via brave voices like Brooke Shields, who spoke up about it in her book Down Comes the Rain. However, what I was experiencing was different from what she had described. I didn't feel the symptoms of depression that are the hallmarks of PPD. Instead, I felt as though I had chugged three pots of espresso in a row - I was jumpy, and my heart raced, and my nerves were frayed at the edges, jarring every inch of my body. By the time I got to the doctor, I had severe insomnia and I danced on the edge of driving myself to the emergency room.
"If I just tell them that I can't sleep and I am about to lose my mind, they will help me," I reasoned. Somehow, I held on until the medication kicked in and my hormones were back under control. It felt kind of like riding a wild mustang, desperately gripping its mane and trying to hang on while the horse bucks and tries to throw you off.
I survived, and later thrived; ultimately, my husband and I decided that we would have only one child instead of proceeding with two, as we had planned. Postpartum Anxiety changed our lives, but I'm not looking back. Instead, I can use my words to share with other parents and potential parents so that they're not afraid to speak up, either. This is why the new anthology by HerStories is so important; Mothering Through the Darkness is a collection of survival stories from women who have made it through harrowing episodes of postpatrum mood disorders and their bravery is showcased beautifully in this book.
Today is the official launch date, and this review will appear in the December issue of My Forsyth magazine, which happens to be based in a county north of Atlanta where I used to live, a decade and a lifetime ago.
* * *
If you know a mother, chances are that you know someone who
has experienced a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder like Postpartum
Depression. The non-profit resource Postpartum Progress estimates that 1
MILLION women each year (at least 1 in 7) will struggle with a perinatal mood
or anxiety disorder in the U.S. alone. And still, the stigma remains, and not
nearly enough women get the help they need. Motherhood can be filled with joy
and wonder, but for some, the unexpected and stunning onset of Postpartum
Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, and other mood disorders throws everything off
balance with fear and shame and guilt.
"If I just tell them that I can't sleep and I am about to lose my mind, they will help me," I reasoned. Somehow, I held on until the medication kicked in and my hormones were back under control. It felt kind of like riding a wild mustang, desperately gripping its mane and trying to hang on while the horse bucks and tries to throw you off.
I survived, and later thrived; ultimately, my husband and I decided that we would have only one child instead of proceeding with two, as we had planned. Postpartum Anxiety changed our lives, but I'm not looking back. Instead, I can use my words to share with other parents and potential parents so that they're not afraid to speak up, either. This is why the new anthology by HerStories is so important; Mothering Through the Darkness is a collection of survival stories from women who have made it through harrowing episodes of postpatrum mood disorders and their bravery is showcased beautifully in this book.
Today is the official launch date, and this review will appear in the December issue of My Forsyth magazine, which happens to be based in a county north of Atlanta where I used to live, a decade and a lifetime ago.
* * *
Almost ten years ago, actress/model Brooke Shields did her
best to blow the lid off her struggles with PPD in her book Down Came the Rain.
Today, more women are talking about it and diminishing the shame that
accompanies the symptoms and diagnoses of various PMAD conditions, including
Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder. The new anthology Mothering
Through the Darkness (edited by Stephanie Sprenger and Jessica Smock)
explores the starkest honesty and deepest introspection about what birth and
hormones can do to our bodies and minds from the perspectives of 35 different
women. The essays are rich with raw pain and vivid descriptions of what each
woman experienced through PPD and other mood disorders, and also braided with
hope and strength. Each story is a feast of words on a very tough topic.
This book is not just for survivors of an illness that
strikes so many women and steals time from their new motherhood. It’s for
anyone who is a mother, wants to be a mother, or is a friend/mother/sister to
someone who is experiencing motherhood for the first or tenth time.
Mothering Through the
Darkness is not just about postpartum mood disorders. It’s about love. Love
for our children, love for our spouses, and love for other mothers who have
been or are about to go through something similar. Reading their stories honors
their journey and helps to being PPD out of the darkness and into the light,
once and for all.
For more information on the book: http://www.herstoriesproject.com/motheringthrudark-2/
For more information on the book: http://www.herstoriesproject.com/motheringthrudark-2/