65: Postpartum Psychosis, A Mothers Story

Postpartum Psychosis, while rare, is very serious. 1-2 in 1,000 new mothers experience this and most have no idea what is going on. Kristina Dulaney shares her story and her journey through recovery. The recovery process can be long. Kristina tells us about the length of her recovery and what she did to get back to herself. This is another important highlight of why we HAVE to educate mothers, families, healthcare providers and whoever will listen. Prevention and early intervention are NECESSARY! Some of her story highlights why we HAVE to have more specialized units for postpartum mothers and very specifically for postpartum psychosis. We have to understand this experience, treat these mothers well, with respect and with dignity. Then we have to educate everyone, get more resources that will actually help, rather than just contain them. She describes how the support of her husband, family and faith really helped her to get to feeling better. Kristina is working to reduce stigma and increase awareness, gather resources for her community in Tennessee. She is looking into the future to make sure resources are available for moms and families going forward. Her message and hope for moms: reach out and get help. Connect with Kristina here: www.facebook.com/intothelightandthriving  Her story here on Postpartum Progress:  http://www.postpartumprogress.com/experience-postpartum-psychosis-hospitalization-recovery Kristina Dulaney now lives in East TN with her husband and 2 children, now 4 and 2. Her postpartum crisis occurred May 22,2015 when her youngest was 5 1/2 months old and they lived just outside of Greensboro at the time. She has made a full recovery and now advocates for perinatal mental health in her area. She enjoys spending time with her family and taking pictures!