my sister has puerperal psychosis

[gary]

hi hope u dont feel it intrusive of me for looking at this website.My name is gary,i am 31 years old , my sister is 29 years old and has just had her first baby 5 months ago.She began suffering after 4 weeks but could have been earlier and did not tell anyone.Thing have got worse and worse with all types of symptoms that you have posted in the forum.
My sister is getting admitted to a specialist unit in Manchester called prammbs tomorrow . i have lived away from her since i was 11 years old and feel this might have something to do with this trauma.we have always kept in touch on the phone and c each other 3-4 times a year , but i think I'm quite a cold person and she may think that i dont care about her , its not that i dont care or anything I'm just not good at showing my emotion easy. i am worried about saying and doing the wrong thing when i go to see her soon and wondered if anyone might give my some advice about it from her point of view.i know this is difficult to answer but any advice would be helpful.regards Gary

[yoyo]

Hi Gary

So glad you've found this site- I'm sure it will help you to understand a little more of what your sister is going through, she is so 'lucky' to have such a caring brother. It really does mean a lot.

The only advice I can really give would be to be there for her, just keep in touch and maybe help in a practical way if emotional support is a little tricky x

Remind her she will get better, remind her people love her, remind her that she's a great mum, praise her for even tiny things. SHe'll be going through hell at the moment and will have lost a lot of confidence in herself and things.

Please also direct her to this site when she feels a little better, I'm sure she'll find it very supportive x x

Look after yourself too - you need to be strong for your sister x

[charlottesmum]

Hi Gary
I would like to reassure you that it is nothing you have done/haven't done that has caused your sister's illness.
She is lucky to have a brother so concerned that he has taken the effort of seeking advice. I can only repeat yoyo's words which is lots of praise for your sister, tell her she's doing really well and that you are there for her. Another bit of advice is ..rather than ask her if there's anything you can do (because the answer might be no or she's not sure) then just go out and do things for her - get stuff from the shop, buy her a treat, get her some toiletries for her hospital stay ...etc
Let us know how you get on..

[faith31]

HELLO GARY
i am sure your sister would be very happy to hear how much you care, her illness is nothing to do with anything you may or may not have done,, she will be feeling very strange at the moment, but remember this illness isn't forever she will get better,, stay strong for her just being there will be love enough for her. take care and remember the tunnel does have a light
with love faith XXX

[cinders]

Hiya Gary,
What a lucky gal your sister is to have such a caring brother like you.
It is nothing to do with what you have/havent done. It is a very cruel illness that can affect anyone at anytime. All I can say is just be there for her and let her know that you love her. When I was ill my brother would phone just to let me know that he loved me and that was just wonderful. He lives a long way from me, but just having those calls was a boost.
I know its hard to show emotion sometimes....maybe you could send her a little card (sometimes easier writing these things down).
Anyway Gary, good luck and let your sister know about this site when shes feeling stronger...Love n hugs Cinders xxx

[naomi]

Dear Gary

I just wanted to add to the reassurance that your sister's PP is not your fault. It's just a sad fact that 1 in 1000 women have PP in reaction to the hormone changes around childbirth. You have shown what a caring brother you are by taking the time to post on here. Well done, and we're here for you if you need to talk.

I found hospital very boring, so one thing you could do is send her a little parcel with something for the baby and something for her to do e.g. puzzles or craft, whatever she likes to pass the time with. If you're near enough to visit, it always gave me a lift when I had visitors to see me or take me out for lunch. Just the little things that help you to feel human again.

She may be feeling very scared about having PP and what's happened to her - maybe you could print out some information about her medication from the internet, or print info from this site about PP (go to the puerperal psychosis topic).

Do keep in touch, and let us know how you all get on - I'm pleased your sister is now getting the treatment she needs in hospital.

Thinking of you,
Naomi xx

[gary]

hi there everyone,Gary here. Just wanted to say thanks for your comments and advice regarding my sister. i am going to see her at 1pm today , I'm a bit scared cos i hate to c people close in hospital with things wrong but will go because it will mean a lot more to Kelly than if i didn't. i will tell her about this website a little later ,have already told my dad, think its great what u do ,well done to everyone on here , especially the insiders who do it of there own backs.let u know of my visit later ... Gary

[sifreynir]

why not print off this thread for her to read Gary?

[kl77]

Hi Gary

Hope things go ok at the hospital, it's so nice that you'll put aside your own fears to do something you know will mean so much to Kelly.

Just for you - you will get your sister back and she will get better, well done in supporting her! Hang in there

KL X

[cheshire]

My daughter is currently receiving Electrocompulsive Therapy (ECT) as treatment for severe post natal depression.
She is experiencing short-term memory loss, as she was told she would do, as a result of this treatment.
I am concerned that, although she may recover from the post natal depression, she may continue to suffer in the future from memory difficulties.
I would welcome any comments/feedback/advice regarding this from relatives of women who have been in similar circumstances, or, indeed from the mother themselves.
Thankyou.

('helpneeded' - Ray)

[cheshire]

Hi helpneeded

I nearly missed you in this section - the only information i can give you about ECT is what I wrote here:

veritee.proboards7.com/index.cgi?board=meds&action=display&n=1&thread=4416&page=1

It is certain that short term memory loss is a side effect of ECT but this is also thought to be part of the reason ECT works and it is rare that any memory difficulties continue for more than a few months after ECT.

ECT is not a permanent solution to the illness as the effects for most wear off after about three months , but in effect one of the reasons it may work is that you 'forget' that you are ill, or at least your mind/brain is shaken out of its 'ill' patterns of thought - others would say that ECT disturbs the chemical make up of the brain and hence the neurotransmitters that are known to go haywire in depression or the brain does not produce enough of them - one main neurotransmitter is seratonum

But the fact is no one actually knows exactly why ECT works - but it does in many cases

And in that in the 3 months or so that a course of ECT is effective to alleviate symptoms there would have been enough relief of symptoms to give therapy, counseling and medication a chance to work.....
and sometimes just the rest from the symptoms is all that is needed to push the sufferer to wards recovery

and as the effects of the ECT wears off, so does the memory loss.

I have never had ECT but I did have a therapy that also causes memory loss ( deep sleep treatment) and this is thought to work for the same reason.

However Seep Sleep treatment is now thought to be dangerous , while there is no evidence that ECT is.

I think while the idea of an electric current passing through someones brain seems barbaric, this does not mean it does not work -and it is more the thought that is the most distressing than the actual experience as it is done theses days.As a mother of a young women myself I can understand how concerned you are that your daughter is having this therapy

But with severe illness that can not seemed to be treated any other way - it does seem to work.

However as I said I have not had ECT - others have who have used this forum have but they may not want to talk about it now or come on to see your post.

As ECT as a treatment for PNI is quite rare and only for the severest symptoms.

However our patron Elaine Hanzak who wrote a book about her own experience which included ECT 'Eyes without Sparkle - a journey through postnatal illness' (Radcliffe 2005) '' will probably be willing to talk to you about how ECT was for her - see her web site here: www.elainehanzak.co.uk/

Do you want to email her through her site or shall I ask her to reply to you on here?

All I can say is that to be faced with ECT or severe PNI is between the rock and the deep blue sea......

But knowing what I know from starting this forum , and supporting many women with PNI - if every other treatment has been tried and the PNI is severe, the sufferer can not lead a fairly 'normal ' life and especially if she has to be hospitalized ....

then ECT can be worth a try under strict and skilled medical advice

What unit is your daughter in?

Veritee

[cheshire]

To Veritee from helpneeded,
many, many thanks for your response, November 8th, 2006.
What you said, was spot on and, following your advice, Kelly's mum e-mailed Elaine Hanzak on 13th November.
Elaine, herself phone that evening and spoke for about an hour.
After months of worry, that I might "lose" my daughter, I now feel reassured that she will be her normal self again, in the future, even if that takes years rather than months.
Now, I'm confident all will be well in the end.
Once again, many, many thanks.
Ray Worthington, Bebington, Wirral.
P.S - Kelly should be discharged from Wythenshaw very shortly, after nine courses of ECT treatment.