We’ve spent the last several episodes or our podcast discussing PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders): what they are, how they develop, what factors may influence them, and how to treat them. In our final episode on this subject, Ep. 37 : Postpartum Mental Health & Suicide, Part IV, we narrow in specifically about how PMADs can contribute to suicidal thoughts. Suicide is a leading cause of death for moms within the first year of giving birth. We thought it might be useful to hear from other moms about how PMADs affected them. We wanted to have mothers speak for themselves. The links below feature real-life stories of mothers with symptoms of PMADS. (Note that in the videos the speakers may use some of the older, but more familiar, terms such as postpartum depression.)
This first animated video from Women’s College Hospital of Toronto gives a brief overview of PMADS.
In this link, Camille Mehta, a mom, discusses her personal experience with PMADS, and its relationship with maternal suicide. Especially note her fears that her children would probably be better off without her.
In this video, Royale Dá, a TV news anchor discusses the PMADS anxiety symptoms she experienced.
PMADS can affect any mother, even the famous, beautiful, and wealthy.
In Conclusion:
PMADS can include both anxiety and depression symptoms. It is common among new mothers, and probably occurs much more often than typically thought. Mothers with symptoms of PMADS can be successfully treated with both medication and/or therapy. However, Moms are usually reluctant to admit to these experiences because of stigma about mental illness or fear that they may lose their babies by speaking up. Unfortunately, untreated PMADS can sometimes even result in maternal suicide. When women seek treatment for PMADS, they typically become significantly better, and their lives, as well as those of their other family members, improve.