Excerpt from the Introduction

This is a book that has evolved out of the words of women who have suffered from postnatal depression. Having worked in this field for many years, I came to realise that while professional people (researchers, psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors etc) may have developed theories on why women get postnatal depression, it is actually the women themselves who, for me, have provided the greatest insights into the causes of this condition. People who suffer in life from any type of negative experience tend to try and make sense of that experience and what lessons they may learn from it. New moms who experience distress in the early stages of their baby’s life are no exception. They search for meaning as to why they were afflicted by this suffering and it is truly remarkable to hear the levels of insight that are expressed once they have recovered. I say “once they have recovered” because while in the midst of postnatal depression they can barely contemplate more than managing themselves and their baby, never mind understanding what is happening to them or why.
So this book provides a window into the lived experience of postnatal depression according to the experts, women who have suffered from postnatal depression themselves, recovered and have processed their experience in a uniquely individual way. With hindsight they have managed to make sense of their experience in a way that will inevitably help other women make sense of their own experience of postnatal depression.
The book is based on three sources of information:
1. My own experience of postnatal depression
2. My masters thesis which provides the research basis for the book
3. My insights and observations from working with postnatally distressed women for the past 11 years.
The name postnatal depression is actually a misnomer. I prefer to call it postnatal distress (PND). First of all, postnatal distress is very broad in nature ranging from mild adjustment difficulties to clinical depression to postnatal psychosis. By labeling postnatal distress as “depression” one is attributing a constellation of assumptions which, on the one hand, loads the experience with pathological connotations and, on the other hand, limits the scope of the experience to depressive feelings only. In fact, for many women postnatal distress is associated more with feelings of anxiety than depression – there is not so much tearfulness as there are feelings of worry or dread. Having said that, in recent years the term “postnatal depression” has become the most recognized and commonly used label for what this book is all about. So I will refer to the experience as PND which can either stand for postnatal depression or postnatal distress – whatever works for you. Later on I’ll talk more about what PND actually is.
So this book provides a window into the lived experience of postnatal depression according to the experts, women who have suffered from postnatal depression themselves, recovered and have processed their experience in a uniquely individual way. With hindsight they have managed to make sense of their experience in a way that will inevitably help other women make sense of their own experience of postnatal depression.
The book is based on three sources of information:
1. My own experience of postnatal depression
2. My masters thesis which provides the research basis for the book
3. My insights and observations from working with postnatally distressed women for the past 11 years.
The name postnatal depression is actually a misnomer. I prefer to call it postnatal distress (PND). First of all, postnatal distress is very broad in nature ranging from mild adjustment difficulties to clinical depression to postnatal psychosis. By labeling postnatal distress as “depression” one is attributing a constellation of assumptions which, on the one hand, loads the experience with pathological connotations and, on the other hand, limits the scope of the experience to depressive feelings only. In fact, for many women postnatal distress is associated more with feelings of anxiety than depression – there is not so much tearfulness as there are feelings of worry or dread. Having said that, in recent years the term “postnatal depression” has become the most recognized and commonly used label for what this book is all about. So I will refer to the experience as PND which can either stand for postnatal depression or postnatal distress – whatever works for you. Later on I’ll talk more about what PND actually is.