Opening Up About PPD

Right now, millions of people are dealing with depression in different ways. Just a few examples include: major depression, dysthymia (mild depression) bipolar disorder (which has elements of depression), SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and postpartum depression. Until recently, not many people spoke about their experiences with SAD and postpartum depression. Their experiences were trivialized and generally not taken seriously.

However, in 2001, Katherine Stone became one of the first women to break the silence about the postpartum depression (PPD) she experienced after the birth of her son. For weeks after her son’s birth, Stone cried constantly, lost weight, suffered insomnia and even had intrusive thoughts about hurting her baby. Yet, she chalked it up to it all being part of the “sadness” some women felt after childbirth.

When Stone searched for information online or support from others, she was met with clinical terms and few support systems. After seeing a counselor, Stone wrote an essay about her experience that Newsweek published. The response she received was overwhelming and encouraged her to start a blog, Postpartum Progress.

“I am looking forward to the day when a woman [suffering from PPD] knows exactly what's happening to her, where to go for help, and has the shortest recovery possible,” Stone says.

Have you experienced postpartum depression? How did you get through it? [Yahoo! Tech]